[Robert Fouser] 'Dynamic USA' and 'Welcoming Korea'

The switch from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for US president brought an instant change in atmosphere to the campaign for the White House. Former President Donald Trump, who had previously looked younger compared to Biden, suddenly looked old and has struggled to regain his postconvention dominance. Harris, meanwhile, has pulled ahead in the national polls and will get another bounce from this week’s Democratic convention.

The change at the top of the Democratic ticket put policy debates on hold, but last week Kamala Harris revealed a series of specific policy proposals with a focus on the economy, particularly the cost of living. Trump has tried to link Harris to Biden, who remains unpopular in part because of the high inflation that occurred since he took office.

Harris’ economic proposals contained several surprises, one of which is her plan to give a $6,000 tax credit to parents of a newborn child. She also proposed to raise the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,600 for children under six years old and $3,000 for children over six. It was briefly raised in 2021 as part of economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. This credit resulted in a 40 percent drop in child poverty in the US that year, but it jumped up again when the tax credit expired in 2022. The Child Tax Credit reduces the income tax burden, for those with children up to an income threshold, and results in a payment from the government when little or no tax is required.

The focus on families and childbirth, in particular, represents a significant shift in US political discourse on demographic policy. In 2016, Trump’s harsh stance on immigration raised demographic policy as an issue after years of social consensus that immigration is good for the country. Since Trump’s political rise, views of immigration have turned negative, and Trump continues to pound away at the issue.

The 2010s saw a consistent drop in the fertility rate in the US that has continued in the 2020s, reaching a historic low of 1.62 births per woman in 2023. The trend received little attention until 2023 when mainstream media began giving it more attention, which has triggered a broader social debate that mirrors ideological divisions in US society.

Two sharply contrasting views have emerged. On the far right, the decline is viewed through the lens of race and religion and thus presents a challenge to the historic dominance of white Christians. Donald Trump harsh rhetoric on immigration appeals to this group. Among many traditional liberals, progressives and those on the far left, the decline is viewed through the lens of environmentalism. They argue that there are too many people in the world and that human activity is destroying the planet. To them, falling fertility rates in the US and elsewhere are welcome. At the same time, many in this group remain the most open to immigration.

Apart from these vocal groups, a range of other groups in both parties continue to support immigration and worry about the cost of raising children in the US, rather than the fertility rate itself. These are the groups that Kamala Harris is trying to reach with her proposals. As the daughter of immigrant parents herself, she understands the benefits of immigration for the US.

Harris frequently sprinkles her speeches with the words “forward,” “opportunity” and “future.” Her approach to demographic policy reflects the idea of social dynamism. To borrow from the early 2000s South Korean slogan “Dynamic Korea,” Harris envisions a “Dynamic USA” that looks toward the future. A demographic policy that focuses both on raising the fertility rate, or at least stemming the decline, and continuing immigration is critical to creating a “Dynamic USA.”

“Dynamic Korea” emerged during the recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis as young entrepreneurs, mostly in their 30s, rode the digital revolution to success. The large 386 generation was young, energetic and optimistic about the future, which influenced generations before and after.

South Korea is still dynamic, but the energy of “Dynamic Korea” is fading as the population ages. The 386 generation is starting to retire, the fertility rate hit a record low of 0.72 in 2023, and the population itself began to decline in 2021.

Raising the fertility rate will take time, if it even happens, so the only practical solution is immigration. As an advanced democracy with a strong economy, South Korea has the potential to attract many more immigrants than it does now. “Welcoming Korea” is the slogan that’s needed now.

Robert J. Fouser

Robert J. Fouser, a former associate professor of Korean language education at Seoul National University, writes on Korea from Providence, Rhode Island. He can be reached at robertjfouser@gmail.com. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed.