The Age of the Pill: New Evidence on the Exceptionalism of the Late 20th-Century U.S.
Over the past fifty years, the U.S. has witnessed dramatic changes in childbearing, leading some to call this period the “Second Demographic Transition.” Yet the many of the features of the Second Demographic Transition do not appear exceptional in long-term, historical perspective. After summarizing this evidence, I lay out three underappreciated demographic features of the recent U.S.: (1) the realization ...
