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→Contents: Final (?) tweaks of the information provided.
***In both situations, people who may or may not have been born had a profound impact on society. Had Ceauşescu maintained the previous liberal policy regarding abortion, many of the youths that overthrew his government would most likely not have been born. Had the Supreme Court ruled as it did in Roe v. Wade, the young, poor, undereducated mothers who did not have the financial resources to afford an abortion would have had children statistically destined to be involved in crime.
***In both situations, people who may or may not have been born had a profound impact on society. Had Ceauşescu maintained the previous liberal policy regarding abortion, many of the youths that overthrew his government would most likely not have been born. Had the Supreme Court ruled as it did in Roe v. Wade, the young, poor, undereducated mothers who did not have the financial resources to afford an abortion would have had children statistically destined to be involved in crime.
***The authors, both of whom are parents, do not necessarily advocate abortion as an ends justifying the means of fighting crime. For example, they refer to abortion as a means of birth control as "a crude and drastic sort of insurance policy"† and acknowledge their findings should leave people "shaken by the notion of a private sadness being converted into a public good"‡.
***The authors, both of whom are parents, do not necessarily advocate abortion as an ends justifying the means of fighting crime. For example, they refer to abortion as a means of birth control as "a crude and drastic sort of insurance policy"† and acknowledge their findings should leave people "shaken by the notion of a private sadness being converted into a public good"‡.
****In the revised edition epilogue, the authors note that the concept of abortion leading to reduction in crime was met with considerable controversy from both liberals and conservatives. Liberals were aghast at the theory's singling out of poor, black women while conservatives were appalled by the theory's linkage of a drop in crime with abortion. For Levitt, the issue is a question of "wantedness". Children that are raised in families where they are wanted fare far better than families where they are unwanted. Rather than focusing on the question of abortion, Levitt would rather focus on ensuring all children are wanted.
****The authors contrast economics and morals. Where morality deals with an ideal worldview (everyone is honest), economics provide a real worldview (not everyone is as honest as they might claim to be).
*'''Chapter 5''' ''What Makes a Perfect Parent?''
*'''Chapter 5''' ''What Makes a Perfect Parent?''
**A statistical review of the impact of parents on children and the multitude of divergent advice given to parents. Included, how fear influences our perceptions of risk and how parents make choices for their children.
**A statistical review of the impact of parents on children and the multitude of divergent advice given to parents. Included, how fear influences our perceptions of risk and how parents make choices for their children. Fear and outrage tend to influence our perception of risk far more than reality might otherwise indicate.
*'''Chapter 6''' ''Perfect Parenting, Part II; or: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell As Sweet?''
*'''Chapter 6''' ''Perfect Parenting, Part II; or: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell As Sweet?''
**A statistical review of names in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and how they are affected by race and the potential impact on children.
**A statistical review of names in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and how they are affected by race and the potential impact on children. The authors show name popularity is affected by race, education and other socio-economic indicators and that name popularity ebb and flow not only in the long-term (names from 1960 compared to those in 2000) but also in the shrot-term (names from 1980 compared to 1990).
==References==
==References==