Originally posted by: zinfamous
According to the economist Stephen Leavitt, it could very well be the unstoppable rise in crime and street violence that was predicted for the 1990s.
Posited the theory (with rather solid evidence) that Roe v Wade was the major factor in preventing this disaster from occurring. (far less children born into poverty and desperate situations means far less young criminals at their peak criminal age). Correlated this with Ceoucesku's [major sic] decades-long anti-abortion policy in Croatia and the extremely large population of young, poverty-stricken citizens that brought down his regime.
Anyone who hasn't read Freakanomics should give it a read. good stuff