Fecundism
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Fecundism (word derived from fecundity) is the politics of willfully promoting high birth rate among a group for the sake of enlarging its numbers related to other groups and, consequently, its political influence.
In practice, it is difficult to prove whether a group is conducting fecundism, or if high birth rate is natural consequence of a group's beliefs or actions (and would therefore exist even if it would not result in higher political influence). It is important to note that the religious groups involved most often have long-standing principles and family structures that predate any democracies in which they may take part. Nonetheless, some groups commonly claimed to practice fecundism include:
Religions:
- Roman Catholic Church
- Latter Day Saints
- Islam
- Buddhism
- The Quiverfull movement among Protestant Christians in the US
Ethnic groups:
Fecundism can change the dynamics of a democracy, as the one person, one vote principle favours larger groups over smaller, and so the fecundism is certain to give larger and larger influence to the group which chooses it.
Some politically active Southern Baptists, such as Richard Land, overtly advocate and promote fecundism, and claim the reelection of George W. Bush as President of the United States in 2004 as a Republican victory attributable to fecundism's practice.