This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Monday, March 6, 2023.

I'm Caleb Brown.

America faces a baby bust, the consequences of which promised to be substantial,

and yet it's not clear what can or should be done policy-wise to fix it.

Tim Carney is author of the forthcoming book,

tentatively titled

One Big Happy Family, how a more child-friendly America can give us a 21st century

baby boom.

We spoke earlier this year.

Let's begin with the obvious, Tim. You have six children.

This is true. In your home.

And so I wonder the extent to which your natalist policy preferences stem are a sort of motivated reasoning, a rationalization

of the fact that you have six children.

Look, I benefit from small families

because people buy stuff for their kids

and it's like barely used and then they sell it second hand,

like barely touch.

Well, by the time we get through something, six kids have had and it's totally destroyed.

But my, I'd say, my six kid reflects the philosophy, the worldview that's connected to my natalism.

But I think I can argue for natalism from lots of different perspectives,

but my ultimate one is that people are good

and that human beings are a benefit to others but even

...