Abstract

PIP: Reviewing the official population policies of a number of industrialized Western nations, as compared with the actural programs implemented for reaching antinatalist and pronatalist goals, this discussion focuses attention upon the inconsistencies between offical policies and actual programs and explores some of the intervening variables responsible for the differences. Lowi¿s (1972) typology of population policy measures was used together with data recently collected by the UN. Lowi¿s typology is based upon 2 principles: policies always assume a certain degree of coercion; and policies operate either by directly influencing behavior or by influencing conditions of behavior. The specific programs used in 2 pairs of nations with opposite national population policies were analyzed. As examples of countries with antinatalist policies, the Netherlands and the US were selected. As representatives of the pronatalist group, France and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) were selected. A major factor in the selection of these countries for analysis was the availability of information about their population policies and programs. Comparison of the 4 cases provides the basis for the following conclusions. Advanced industrial countries show considerable difference in population policy. The US, for example, does not have an elaborated system of family allowances, while France has a complicated and continually extending system of child allowances and family benefits. In several states of the Republic of Germany (FRG) young families are actually rewarded for having children within a certain period of time. The population policies and programs in the 4 countries are often inconsistent. This is the case in both pronatalist and antinatalist nations. A careful assessment of the differential effects of various population policy measures is needed before they are actually implemented. This requirement is often neglected, as illustrated by the following cases. National population policies in France strongly favor increasing the birthrate. Major sacrifices are made to further this goal. Yet, the Ministry for the Rights of Women in 1981 launched a broadly based campaign increasing the use and availability of contraceptives. While in developing nations these programs frequently are used with the goal of decreasing birthrates, in this case pronatalist France is implementing a similar program for emancipatory reasons. In a number of industrialized nations programs are introduced stimulating women to participate in the labor force with the argument that external employment has the effect of providing women with opportunities for self realization and emancipation. Whatever the priorities these nations have, regulating population growth or increasing female emancipation, it makes little sense to further both objectives with mutually counteracting programs.