Caroline Downey

When government initiatives attempt to address plummeting fertility rates, policy proposals must navigate complex ethical, financial, and cultural landscapes. Caroline Downey sits down with Heritage Foundation senior research associate Emma Waters to analyze Donald Trump’s proposals to spur an American baby boom. Examining policy ideas ranging from universal IVF coverage mandates and baby bonuses to tax credits and family-first economic reforms, Caroline and Emma unpack whether state-driven pronatalism can reverse demographic decline. Dissecting the ethical dilemmas surrounding assisted reproductive technology, the limits of government intervention, and the deeper cultural factors driving marriage and fertility declines, they explore what true, sustainable support for American families ought to look like. What do these policy debates reveal about the clash between technocratic pronatalism, bioethics, and the cultural renewal required to restore family formation in America? Watch Caroline’s full conversation with Emma Waters, leave your thoughts below, and subscribe to National Review!