Bryan Caplan is one of the nation’s most original thinkers. His book The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies was a highly influential and controversial critique of democracy. In it, Caplan argued that voters are prone to irrational postures—such as anti-market bias and anti-foreign bias—that help explain why they embrace lousy public policies.

His new book, Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids: Why Being a Great Parent Is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think, advances another controversial claim: not only is having more children good for society, it is actually good for parents.

Caplan visited AEI recently to make his case, and to explain why Amy Chua, author of bestselling Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, needs to chill out.

Nick Schulz is the editor of THE AMERICAN.

FURTHER READING: Schulz and John Miller remember “How the Progressives Almost Killed Football,” Schulz and Steven Hayward detail “‘Reagan’s Final Triumph Over His Enemies,’” and Schulz and Representative Fred Upton discuss “Revolution in the Rust Belt.” Nicholas Eberstadt studies “World Population Prospects and the Global Economic Outlook,” Karlyn Bowman assesses “Millenials on the Move,” and Douglas Besharov considers “Building a Foundation for Families: Fighting Hunger, Investing in Children.”

Image by Rob Green/Bergman Group.