Intro

Many economists and politicians are alarmed that Americans, like others around the world, are having fewer kids. But, apart from wanting a growing labor force, is this really a problem? Opinions columnists Shadi Hamid and Heather Long talk with Style columnist Monica Hesse about what’s really behind the baby bust and whether we just need to prepare for a lower fertility future. 

Read more from our columnists about this topic in the Washington Post:

Editorial board: A reader quiz on world birthrate -- and what it means for the future

Monica Hesse: The birth rate is still sluggish. Don’t blame the birth givers.