1. Why is it important for policymakers, including urban planners, to understand demographic trends in their communities and nation? Why should you be interested in such knowledge? How might it impact your understanding of and positions on issues related to (a) immigration, (b) education, (c) health care, and (d) Social Security legislation?

2. How many children (if any) do you think you would ideally like to have? Why? What might make this ideal number change?

3. What are some examples of (a) pronatalist and (b) antinatalist policies? Do you approve of such policies? Why, or why not? How might your perspective differ depending on the demographics of your particular nation?

4. How is the social status of girls and women related to a society’s ability to control population growth? If you were a male leader in the government of an overcrowded nation, why and how might you use this information to promote gender equality in your country? How might your ideas be perceived differently, depending on your sex?

5. What are some of the major reasons people leave their country of origin and move to another? Have you ever done so? Why? If not, under what circumstances would you be willing to leave the country in which you were born and move to another?