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After the Census Bureau announced that the U.S. population would soon hit the 300 million

mark, we've seen both celebration and consternation, optimism about the American future and warnings about

unfettered population growth. Yesterday we hit that mark and Dan Griswold, director

of Cato's Center for Trade Policy Studies, is perfectly content. In today's

podcast he tells us why. Just yesterday we hit the 300 million mark. Is it

safe to call this overpopulation? Well that's kind of a loaded term. I don't think the

United States is overpopulated. Just get on a plane and look down from 30,000 feet

over the country and you see all sorts of rural areas and undeveloped land.

America is a relatively low density population country.

And actually, the $300 million I think

is something worth celebrating.

We're a unique country in the world,

with a large population and a very high per capita income and high productivity which magnifies our total GDP and our weight and influence in the global economy.

I think it's a fantastic thing that 300 million people can enjoy the freedom

and prosperity that we have here in the United States.

So you believe that America can ultimately handle this kind of growth?

I do, I do. We have lots of undeveloped land and actually it

isn't so much that we're filling up uniformly as Americans have been moving

...