The America of Tomorrow

The population of America, just like any nation is dynamic. Since 1776, American society has constantly been changing, reflecting a change among the American people. Research by the Pew Research Center sought to predict how the American population will change next. The results may shock you.

A healthy population can be represented in what is called a "population pyramid." Hopefully, the pyramid looks like just that, with younger age groups being the most populous and the age groups becoming less populous as the age increases. In addition, a near equal balance between males and females should also exist. Throughout the 20th century, America's population was healthy - forming a pyramid. However, the so-called Baby Boomer generation which was born after World War Two will throw a wrench in the perfect pyramid. By 2040, when the Baby Boomers will be over 75 years old, America's population "pyramid" will look like a rectangle.

Thus, the birth rate is decreasing, while the largest generation this nation has ever seen is getting older. This presents an interesting challenge to the policymakers of the near future. Old-age government services like Social Security and Medicare are becoming increasingly expensive to provide for more and more elderly people.  What's more is that there will be less workers to tax and to give money to provide these services which have been in place since the mid-1900's. Social Security was one of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal policies aimed at dealing with the Great Depression. Medicare (and its counterpart for the poor, Medicaid) was a hallmark of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society domestic program.

In addition, the groups of people who comprise American society are changing. America is becoming more and more racially and ethnically diverse, especially due to immigration from Latin America. The following graph represents how much the ethnic makeup of the population is projected to change from now until 2060.

 

As mentioned, immigration has major part in this transformation. The number of first- and second-generation immigrants is projected to increase by over 4% each by 2060. Since the end of World War II, when the United States began lifting some immigration bans especially in Latin America, the immigrant population has been ever-expanding, with 50% of all immigrants from 1962-2014 being from Latin America. Prior to 1962, 55% of all immigrants were European. During that time, the United States had banned immigration from most Asian nations, most notably China and Japan.





In terms of American population as a whole, there is a trend with political and social beliefs among generations. As generations get younger, the people in those generations become more liberal, supporting causes like same-sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana, and government programs for the unemployed. The youngest and most liberal generation, the Millennials, tend to be in debt from college, non-religious, and in an insufficient job. However, most are well-connected social media lovers and fearless optimists despite 46% of them living in their parent's home after college. Those that who are not living with their parents are spurning the suburbs where they grew up for the party life in the city.

The America of tomorrow will be unlike any America seen previously. American society will present new challenges to the nation and the government. And dealing with these problems is up the liberal, optimistic Millennials.

Source: Pew Research Center