Our Demographic Future: Why Population Policy Matters to America

This intriguing piece takes a look at the beginnings of America's concern with overpopulation, and our lack of a national population policy today. The first section describes the unfortunate abandonment of congressional support for changes deemed necessary by the Rockefeller Commission 25 years ago including President Nixon's dismissing of  the Commission's recommendations even though the Commission had concluded that "no substantial benefits would result from continued growth of the nation's population." 

The second half of the piece asks, "Would life be better now had the Commission's recommendations been adopted?  And will life be worse in the future because we dismissed the Commission's goals?"  The conclusion outlines a plan for America to gradually reduce our vast numbers, and strive for implementation of the policies that for decades have been recognized as vital to our country's future. 
 

Section I:	Introduction
	The Rockefeller Commission:  The First Attempt at Demographic Policy
Section II:	Consequences of Growth
	Predictions that Came True
Section III:	Where We Might Have Been Going
	Where We Ought to be Going
	An Optimum Population is Still Acheivable
Section IV:	Notes