The celebration of America’s 250th birthday has begun, inaugurated by a patriotic presentation of the nation’s history at the Washington Monument on New Year’s Eve and followed by a packed calendar of events, including a Triumphal Arch near Arlington National Cemetery and the Great American State Fair planned for Independence Day.

As we commemorate 250 years of America and prepare for 250 more, it’s worth asking ourselves the question: Do we embrace a vibrant future, or do we accept decline? The answer hinges on who you ask. Millions still hold deep faith in our nation’s promise, while others have lost hope. Nowhere is this divide clearer than in one of humanity’s most profound expressions of optimism: the choice to have children.

Welcoming new life into the world is the greatest sign that people have hope for the future and want to make the nation endure long after they are gone. Inversely, chosen childlessness is often a reflection of despair — the result of the pessimistic belief that this world is not worth bringing people into. Without new life, all aspirations for prosperity, innovation, and enduring strength become hollow.  

America faces a crisis of despair, but it’s far from universal. Sadly, political ideology has emerged as one of the clearest predictors of that pessimism. 

Research from the Institute for Family Studies shows........

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