The best known pessimist was the English cleric Thomas Malthus, who in 1798 argued convincingly that unchecked population growth would outstrip food production. (BULLIET 862) By the late 1960’s Europe and other industrial sociaties had made what was called the demographic transition to lower fertility rates and reduce mortality. (Spodek 862) The demographic transition did not occur in the third world where some leaders actively promoted large families until the economic shocks of the 1970’s and 1980’s.(BULLIETS 862) As population grew, people needed more room to spread out. This lead to overcrowding in small towns. Once cities became larger more opportunities were created there. ( Princeton Review 164)

 Even if birthrates go up in industrialized nations will not catch up to the rest of the world’s populations. (BULLIET 865)  Even though in places like Asia, government try to reduce population they still keep growing. (BULLIETS 865)  In China efforts to enforce a limit of one child per family led to large-scale female infanticide as rural families sought to produce male heirs. (PRINCETON REVIE BOOK 164)  India’s policies of forced sterilization created widespread outrage and lead to the electoral defeat of the ruling Congress Party. (BULLIETS 865)  Between 1960 and 1982 India’s birthrate fell, while China’s rate declined even more sharply. (SPODEK 500)  It is unclear whether the nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America will undergo the lowered fertility and industrial revolution. Yet real progress has occurred, and fertility rates have fallen where woman have had access to education and employment outside the home. (BULLIETS 865)