The population of the United States grew from about 200 million to about 300 million during the last 39 years. This is the fastest population growth the country has ever experienced, due to immigration.
Professor of agricultural economics Steven Turner said so many people immigrate to the United States because of economic opportunity.
“The amount of immigrants coming into the country could be positive or negative,” Turner said. “In general most immigrants will be net contributors, but some may not be.”
The rapidly growing population is positive in the long run because retired Americans need more people to support the workforce, Turner said.
However, there are the issues of pressure on natural resources and urban sprawl, Turner said.
“We like to live spread out, and we have the transportation capability right now,” Turner said. “Because of that transportation use, we use up our natural resources, and that could be a problem.”
Mississippi Rep. Brian Aldridge said the population growth is positive because it results in a lower unemployment rate, but negative because of the illegal immigration factor.
“Some individuals only come to America so the taxpayers will take care of everything they need,” Aldridge said. “This is my biggest frustration as a legislator.”
Because of the population growth, space has already become an issue, Aldridge said.
“Generally, the reason we have less land is that businesses are expanding,” Aldridge said. “This is a good thing though, because it causes more jobs to be available.”
About half of the U.S. population lives in the Western and Southern parts of the country, according to an article on Poynter Online.
People migrate to the West and South because of climate and the diversified job market, Aldridge said.
“The southeastern part of the United States is the fourth most economically prosperous area in the world because everything goes back to jobs,” Aldridge said.
Mississippi Rep. Greg Ward said the South is so populated because the cost of living, especially when it comes to housing, is lower than in other places.
The population of the United States is actually much higher than 300 million because of the number of illegal immigrants that come into the country, Ward said. The cost of medical care is affected by illegal immigrants.
“Because of illegal immigration, some people are not able to pay their medical expenses, so taxpayers have to pay for them,” Ward said.
One consequence of rapid population growth is the downfall of the nation’s original wetlands, Ward said.
“We are encroaching upon our wetlands, and it is affecting the ecosystem and climate,” Ward said. “We need to conserve what we can so future generations will be able to enjoy the benefits of the wetlands.”