Effects of Single Child Enactment on Industry/Workforce

The United States of America dates back all the way from July 4, 1776. Ever since our country first gained its independence from Great Britain we have continued to operate as a beacon for economic equality and progression. In present times the “American dream” attracts people from all walks of life. They come in search of religious and political freedom, employment, safety, and new beginnings. With America continuing to open its arms to immigrants and refugees and the U.S. Census Bureau reporting an estimated rate of one birth every 8 seconds; a few questions remain, how do we provide the resources to accommodate these people, and will we ever draw a population limit? Tackling the overpopulation crisis may at first seem like an impossible feat, however a few small-step measurements can be taken in order to help curb the growth rate. By enacting a new law that increase taxes for Americans who choose to have more than one child, we will be providing a successful deterrent to overpopulation. Those that choose not to abide will be creating new tax-revenue, which can be aimed towards renewable energy and resource conservation projects. The long road towards passing this sort of law wouldn’t exactly be paved in gold, researchers and analysts would be especially interested in the economic side effects that would soon transpire if it were enacted. Data collected from our friends in China, shows us that only children tend to have higher IQs, which researchers say may be because their parents have higher expectations for them and more time and money to give. If this were so, our workforce would soon shift towards a population of highly trained and qualified citizens. Parents would be more inclined to manage the social, educational and mental progression of their single child. America would soon give birth to more doctors, lawyers, politicians, and scientists and innovators. A sudden influx of highly qualified individuals would cause a major decline in the amount of Americans working low-skilled jobs in fields such as manufacturing, maintenance, transportation and waste management. Without people to fill these jobs our country could suffer greatly, but it could also become an economic powerhouse. In order to supplement for the sudden increase in low-skilled job vacancies our countries skilled workers (comprised of only-child’s) would need to create viable solutions for multiple sectors of our economy. This means new agriculture machinery would be needed to pick the strawberries that field workers once picked. New military weaponry would be created in order to replace basic infantry soldiers. New automated transportation services would be invented to replace regular taxi drivers. Our country would be forced into advancing its technology at a pace never before seen; the United States would slowly become a self-automated country with cutting edge technology. On the other side of the spectrum, parents would be saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by reproducing only one child. CNN estimates that the average parent spends $241,080 on each child during its lifetime. By saving on these costs parents could spur the economy by re-distributing their money towards bettering their own education, increasing the quality of their lifestyle or investing for the future. In this same way the economy might also be negatively affected by a single child enactment. When parents are saving money on trips to the grocery store agricultural sales could be hurt. When parents are no longer taking multiple children to the doctor’s office for medical check ups the healthcare industry could take a hit, etc. It’s difficult to foresee the exact future that would come as a result of a single child enactment. In many ways our country could become an enormous community of the most advanced and intellectually capable citizens in the world, or a self automated civilization that operates on artificial intelligence technology. Regardless, our currents resources are dwindling and our population continues to grow at an explosive rate. With a combination like that, our planet will continue running on a time clock unless appropriate measures are taken immediately.