How family policies affect women's formation of domestic unions—and why it matters for fertility

In recent decades fertility rates have plummeted throughout Europe. In most countries the situation is so dire that the population is destined to decrease in the absence of large-scale immigration. It is, thus, not surprising that politicians and scholars more and more frequently are asking whether changes in policies can increase fertility rates. The research community, however, is divided on the answer. Whereas some researchers argue that policies can have a substantial positive effect on fertility (McDonald 2006; Björklund 2007), others are more nuanced regarding the extent of the effect (Sleebos 2003; Neyer 2003), or remain unconvinced that there would be any effect at all (Demeny 2005; Gauthier 2007).