Marriage, Cohabitation and the Welfare of Children
3 Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review 101-21 (2013)
Posted: 16 Oct 2013
Date Written: October 15, 2013
Abstract
The United States divorce rate is high, and non-marital cohabitation is more and more prevalent. An increasing number of children are being raised in nontraditional homes. Many commentators are sounding alarms about these developments. This article addresses why it is more difficult than many seem to realize to establish that marriage provides the benefits claimed, although the article also discusses why some of the possible benefits of marriage may not be captured by some of the current approaches to assessing its worth. The article also addresses why marriage proponents should be arguing in favor of, rather than against, same-sex marriage.
Keywords: marriage, benefits, children, wealth, stability, investment
JEL Classification: K10
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation