Singapore Population Policy

-Since 1987, the 'three or more if you ccan afford it' policy.
-To curb the falling birth rate and keepp it above the replacement level.
-Incentives
	-Tax relief and rebates for first four children
	-Priority in education for families with three children.
	-Reduced maid levies
	-Child-care subsidies
	-No pay leave
	-Opening of childcare centres
-Education through the mass media.


China's 'One-child' Policy

-It advocates
	-Delayed marriage and childbearing
	-Later and healthier births
	-One child a couple.
-To ensure that China does not suffer thhe symptoms of overcrowding
	-High birth rate
	-Low Life expectancy
	-Low literacy level
	-Poor living conditions (housing shortage,poor sanitation, etc)
	-Low GNP per capita
	-High rate of unemployment
	-Government is stretched economically to provide housing, facilities etc for the people, impeding economic and other 
	 types of growth.
-This is compounded by the large populattion increase since the Communist Party came to power
	-Former policy by Mao Zedong
-To ensure that China can feed itself
	-It has a history of floods and famines.
-Implementation
	-Mass media
		-Widely advertising the policy amongst citizens
	-Setting up Clinics
		-Offering advice to couples who wish to have babies.
		-Making contraception easier and more widespread.
	-Regulating Pregnancies
		-Babies have to be registered to allow the state to keep track of them.
		-Abortions of second children
		-Making people undergo sterilization such that they are unable to have more than one child.
	-Incentives
		-Priority in terms of education and housing
		-Priority in employment
		-Monetary bonuses
		-Access to health-care
	-Penalties
		-Fines
		-Annual Tax
-Results: Drop in the birth rate from 3..3 to 2.1 percent.
-Pros
	-Children benefit when they are only children
		-More of the family's resources are devoted to them
		-Better fed, and receive more love and care.
		-Chance to get good educations
		-Women are able to concentrate more on their careers.
	-Relieves the population stress in a country which holds 1/5 of the world population.
-Cons
	-Short term view?
		-Skewed sex ratio in which there are 117 males to every 100 females.
	-Only children tend to grow up spoiled and selfish as compared to children with siblings.
	-These children also tend not to value tradition, leading to erosion of cultural values.
	-Female infanticide, because traditionally the Chinese prefer male children to continue the family line.
	-Forced abortions or abortions to have a male child. Human rights abuse of females.
	-Mass sterilization of rural areas as well.

    Source: geocities.com/euphyi