Full Citation
Title: Population and Political Ethics: Thomas Jefferson's Demography of Generations
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 1999
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Abstract: In a 1789 letter to James Madison, Thomas Jefferson presented statistical support for his proposal that the debt of one generation should not be transferred to the next. He applied this principle to individual as well as national debt. Historians have regarded this proposal as impractical, and influenced by notions of generational rights prevalent in Paris during Jefferson's sojourn there. They have ignored the relevance of the late-18th-century practices of political demography and quantitative thinking. Jefferson's letter shows he was well versed in these practices, while mistakes in his calculations show how novel and difficult quantitative demographic thinking was in this era. Scholars should recognize the innovativeness of Jefferson's methods, try to understand the reasons for his miscalculations (which relate partly to pecularities of early republican demographic trends), and acknowledge the relevance of Jefferson's proposal to such late-20th-century generational issues as the viability of social security programs and environmental concerns.
Url: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2674562?origin=crossref
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Authors: Smith, DS
Periodical (Full): William and Mary Quarterly
Issue: 3
Volume: 56
Pages: 591-612
Data Collections: IPUMS USA, IPUMS CPS
Topics: Other
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