Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Am Econ Rev. 2010 Mar;100(1):98-129. doi: 10.1257/aer.100.1.98.
The 1960s ushered in a new era in US demographic history characterized by significantly lower fertility rates and smaller family sizes. What catalyzed these changes remains a matter of considerable debate. This paper exploits idiosyncratic variation in the language of "Comstock" statutes, enacted in the late 1800s, to quantify the role of the birth control pill in this transition. Almost 50 years after the contraceptive pill appeared on the US market, this analysis provides new evidence that it accelerated the post-1960 decline in marital fertility.
20 世纪 60 年代,美国迎来了一个新的人口历史时代,其特点是生育率显著下降和家庭规模缩小。是什么催化了这些变化仍然是一个相当有争议的问题。本文利用“科姆斯托克”法规(Comstock laws)语言的特有变化,来量化避孕药在这一转变中的作用。避孕药在美国市场出现近 50 年后,这项分析提供了新的证据,表明它加速了 20 世纪 60 年代后婚姻生育率的下降。