Women want ‘dads,’ not ‘duds’: A Nobel-winning historian has a theory for falling birthrates, but the economics aren’t so straightforward

"The more that men can credibly signal they will be dependable ' dads' and not disappointing 'duds,' the more investment in women’s education and careers, and the higher will be the birthrate in the face of greater female agency." "The more that men can credibly signal they will be dependable ' dads' and not disappointing 'duds,' the more investment in women’s education and careers, and the higher will be the birthrate in the face of greater female agency."