Essay Sample on Controlling Population Growth: One-Child Policy & Beyond

Introduction

A rapidly increasing human population is almost causing a problem to most of the countries because it can result to slow economic growth and overexploitation of resources. Therefore, different authorities or governments encourage the public to use different techniques such as family planning methods to aid in controlling population growth. However, China grabbed the headlines in the 1970s and early 1980s around the world because of adopting the one-child policy which was viewed as one of the most global draconian or extreme policies meant to assist a country in controlling its population growth. The following will discussion aims to explore why the one-child policy was introduced and reasons behind its abandonment after legally existing for more than three decades.

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Reasons for the Introduction of One-Child Policy In China

Deng Xiaoping is the leader who introduced the one-child policy (OCP) in China in 1979. The policy was primarily established to enable the central government and China as a republic in curbing the human population which at the time was rising at a high rate and was almost reaching a billion level. In general, the policy restricted the families within China from having more than a single child. The policy was established after the leadership seemed to believe that the then rapidly increasing population had begun to destroy the ambitions of the nation towards achieving economic growth.

Emergence of the One-Child Policy

The OCP did not emerge from anywhere, but it instead emerged from other initiatives which had been previously established to assist population planning. During the 1950s, the government of China started to encourage the population to embrace different birth control techniques because it had identified that the rapidly growing population was outdoing the nation's food supply. The family planning or birth control slogan "Late, Long and Few" is one of the initiatives that formed the basis of the OCP. The slogan was established in the mid-1970s and became successful since it lowered the average fertility rates in China by almost half for the 1971 and 1978 period (Zhang, 2017, p.143). However, the impact of slogan lasted for a short period because the population eventually raised, leading the leadership to introduce and implement a more sustainable approach. The short-term achievement of the slogan's campaign prompted the leadership to decide on adopting a more stringent and coercion policy in the name of one-child system which could curb population growth and help China to foster its economic growth and simultaneously address problems such as famine that had stroke the nation previously (Whyte, Feng, and Cai, 2015, pp.152-154).

Implementation and Exemptions of the One-Child Policy

The introduction of OCP in 1979 affirmed that a family could only have one child and those who would violate the policy would suffer penalties (Zhang, 2017, p.141). However, in the 1980s the Chinese government decided to loosen the policy by allowing couples to legally have a second child if both of the parents grew in households where they existed as the only child in their distinct initial families. Although the one-child policy was expected to have a standard application within the boundaries of China, the policy had different exemptions especially to the people from the minority ethnic groups in China, families with handicapped firstborns, and families who lived in rural geographical locations (Zhang, 2017, p.145). The central government of China introduced both benefits and penalties to those who could adhere and violate the one-child policy respectively to facilitate adoption and implementation of the policy. The benefits accrued from adhering the policy included but not limited to health care subsidies, and better housing opportunities. Violation of the policy could make one suffer actual fines and face difficulties when seeking government-based services (Zhang, 2017, p.145).

Population Control and Economic Growth

The primary aim of establishing the one-child policy in China was to assist the country in controlling its population which by then was increasing at an alarming rate (Feng, Gu, and Cai, 2016, pp.83-84) The high population had already shown that it was significantly outpacing the level of the food supply in China. For instance, before the adoption of the one-child policy, China had previously faced a famine disaster which claimed the lives of many people (Feng, Gu, and Cai, 2016, pp.83-84). Therefore, population control measures could help the country to maintain a population which would be adequately supported by the available food quantities thus solving crisis such as famine. The population was to be controlled by decreasing the national fertility rates thus laying a foundation for China to craft its economy and the overall society by extension. The one-child policy was established to stimulate economic growth because the system meant that a family would have more monies to save and put into an investment because of the reduced children per capita.

The one-child policy was also established to assist China in achieving its ambitions towards economic growth. The explosive population growth in China had emerged as one of the vital bottlenecks that could dent the hopes of experiencing economic growth. Thus, the central government had to establish and implement a coercive policy which would curb the rapidly increasing population and its subsequent adverse effects (Whyte, Feng, and Cai, 2015, p.155). For instance, controlled populace meant that the unemployment levels among the Chinese would be brought down and simultaneously provide a significant proportion of the population with incomes to support their lives. Low unemployment cases and increased incomes among the residents of a country serve as some of the contributing factors to economic growth.

Furthermore, the policy was established to mitigate the problems related to environmental and natural resources that the then-exploding population were causing. A ballooning population is in most cases an environmental concern because it will cause pollution especially in the urban regions where there is overcrowding. The then-rising population in China would result in overexploitation of natural resources such as land because most of the people would turn arable lands into residential areas. Reduction of arable pieces of land would have adversely affected agricultural activities such as farming thus causing social problems like food shortage. Also, the increased population would need more space to construct their homes or residing areas an attempt which could force them to destroy some natural resources such as clearing the natural forests. In return, these challenges inhibit a country from experiencing economic development and growth.

The policy was also embraced by the country to curb the problem of environmental pollution and strain on natural resources. The then-massive population coupled with the high rate of urbanization and industrialization contributed to environmental issues such as water shortage and air pollution. Therefore, the control of the population through the one-child policy deemed effective in conserving the natural resources and the environment by extension which are essential pillars for economic growth and a sustainable nation. For instance, population restriction would ensure that people save the natural forests which are critical in absorbing the carbon (IV) oxide before reaching the atmosphere and having adverse consequences such as unpredictable climate patterns. Also, the trees are significant in maintaining the health of the source of water bodies thus ensuring that the controlled population could easily access safe and adequate water for domestic and other purposes.

Focus on Education and Human Capital

Moreover, the one-child policy was initiated to help the families to focus on investing in the education of their only child (Zhang, 2017, p.152). This generation would, in turn, become the most educated generation in the country. An educated generation was beneficial to the Chinese economy because it was highly equipped with knowledge and skills which were needed to steer the new economy more productively. Education is essential in economic growth because it ensures that the citizens of a country are in a pole position to win employment opportunities in the formal sector which has better salaries and wages. Education is also significant since it serves as the source of innovation and technological advancements which can be used as a competitive advantage for a nation's economy especially for countries like China which highly invests in the large manufacturing industry and different infrastructural projects such as road construction.

Alleviating Poverty Levels

Nonetheless, the proponents of OCP viewed the policy as a tool to help the country in alleviating its severe poverty levels which had emerged due to economic mismanagement for several decades (Zeng and Hesketh, 2016, pp.1-2). The controlled population would ensure that the Chinese have adequate resources to support their lives and simultaneously improve their standards of living. The policy would curb poverty levels by ensuring that families would have a single-child who they can comfortably support and still be in a position to save and invest in different sectors; thus a new source of income. OCP would facilitate effective economic management because the central government could accurately distribute the available resources to the citizens thus preventing exploitation or underutilization of resources.

Reasons for the End of the One-Child Policy in China

The one-child policy assisted China in controlling its population growth. Since the initiation of OCP in 1979, most of the locals have been pressurizing the central government to end the policy primarily because it has contributed to workforce shortage due to the significant increase in an elderly population in the society. However, 1st January 2016 is one of the most memorable days in China since it marked the date when China completely phased out the OCP thus allowing all the couples to have two children (Feng, Gu, and Cai, 2016, p.83). The day meant that China had abolished a draconian family planning measure which had been in existence for approximately thirty-five years.

It is imperative to indicate that the OCP was not abolished abruptly, but it instead underwent three phases within three years (Feng, Gu, and Cai, 2016, p.83). The processing of terminating OCP started in March 2013 through the creation of National Health and Family Planning Commission which resulted from the merger between the Ministry of Health and the National Population and Family Planning Commission (Feng, Gu, and Cai, 2016, p.83). The second phase began in November 2013 where the central government stated that the OCP had been partly relaxed by making it legal for a couple to have two children in the case one of the parents was the only child in his or her initial family (Feng, Gu, and Cai, 2016, p.83). The relaxation of policy ensured that an excess of 11 million couples qualified to have a second child. The third phase was proposed in October 2015 and started its implementation in 2016 where all the couples became eligible to have two children (Feng, Gu, and Cai, 2016, p.83). Eventually, the Chinese government seems to be eliminating its regulations and control on family planning by leaving the reproductive decisions at the hands of the individuals. For instance, the government doesn't require couples to pursue approval from the government to have the first or second child, but the couples are only responsible for ensuring that the relevant authorities register every born child.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Essay:

Why was China Introduce the One-Child Policy?

Its China instituted the one-child policy as a solution for their rapidly increasing population, which outshone available food supplies and hindered economic development. Their objective was to limit population growth, prevent crises such as famine and spur economic development.

What were the penalties and exemptions associated with one-child policies?

Violating China's one-child policy could result in fines and difficulty accessing government services; however, exceptions were granted for certain groups, such as ethnic minorities, families with disabled firstborns and those living in rural areas.

How did the one-child policy impact the environment and natural resources?

The one-child policy sought to alleviate environmental issues brought on by overpopulation, such as pollution and resource depletion. By conserving natural resources like forests and water bodies - vital components for both economic growth and environmental wellbeing - this initiative also helped conserve natural resources that were essential for maintaining economic wellbeing and ecological sustainability.