The Second Demographic Transition

Thomas B. Edsall writes a column on politics and demographics for The New York Times. Here he is looking at the degree to which people have physically sorted themselves into regions of like-minded individuals.

Edsall cites the work of Ron Lesthaeghe and Lisa Neidert of the University of Michigan Population Studies Center. These scholars have developed a composite measure of how far along a locale has moved toward what they call the Second Demographic Transition. This they define as:

Postponement of marriage, greater prevalence of cohabitation and same-sex households, postponement of parenthood, sub-replacement fertility, and a higher incidence of abortion.

Places having made more of this transition tend to vote for liberal candidates and parties ... no surprise.