CH 11: Population Policy

1.) The Nature of Population Policy:

2.) Why Population Policies are Necessary:

3.) Fertility Control:

4.) Stages of the Policy Process:

Government & the type of constitution upon which a government is based is the most important force involved in shaping policy

India was the first country to have a population policy as early as 1952

Population Policies- intended to achieve a goal or set of objectives by manipulating variables such as fertility, mortality, or migration

Hardin, a radical neo-Malthusian published the parable "The Tragedy of the Commons". Commons are any resource shared by a group of people.

Malthus's belief that large population sizes can be harmful to human welfare and remain the basis for population control policies today and it implies the concept of optimum population size, which differs from the sustainable population size

Industrialization, technological innovation, more educational opportunities, & rapid urban growth have expanded our capacity as humans to create, consume and destroy.

  1. Abortion
  1. Contraception
  1. Post-partum abstinence

2. Decision Making- has 2 outcomes: formulating a clear definition of policy goals & creating strategies for achieving the goals

  1. Implementation- the least stable of the three & involves: 1. the planning, organization and staffing or agencies; 2. the development of rules, directives and regulations; 3. provides direction and coordination of personal and resources
  1. Agenda Setting- the most important in the life of a policy & it is where issues related to policy are brought to the surface

"Family Planning" was changed to "Family Welfare" after a tilt towards health and education of BOTH the mother and children

1.) Case Studies:

India Population Policy History:

China Population Policy History:

A socially democratic republic that continues to struggle today to create an effective approach towards population policies.

Assumed people would demand access to birth control with a decline in IMRs, but that failed

A communist, one party autocracy that has the most strict and most effective set of population policies. They rejected the Malthusian assumption and focused on economic development rather than birth control for population control.

One-child families are rewarded with free medical care and education, while a 2nd or 3rd child is discouraged through harsh incentives

2.) The Legal Dimension of Policy Implementation:

Population policies are created to achieve desirable living standards that will prevent the collapse of economic and social systems

Population policies focus on the components of growth such as birth and migration, but not mortality or out-migration

3.) Immigration Policy:

  1. Age at marriage

Migration law & policy is strongly influenced by public perceptions, which involve those of white supremacy, xenophobia and racism

The U.S. policy prefers 3 types of immigrants: 1. those who come through with family connections, 2. those who come with assured employment & 3. refugees or asylum seekers

The flow of immigrants has a substantial demographic & social impact, with the majority of international migrants being skilled, young males

4.) Evaluating Population Policies:

  1. Process Evaluation
  1. Efficiency Evaluation
  1. Program Evaluation
  1. Impact Evaluation