The Dispatch Podcast Worried About Inequality? Fix Marriage.
Oct 9, 2023
Economics professor Melissa Kearney discusses her book on the decline of marriage in America, its impact on inequality, and controversial policy matters. Topics include the relationship between marriage, education, and income inequality, trends in marriage and their impact on children, and the surprising findings of a study on localized fracking booms and birth rates.
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Sharp Decline In Parental Marriage
- Marriage among parents has declined sharply, raising the share of babies born to unmarried parents from 18% in 1980 to about 40% today.
- This shift reflects a broader collapse in marriage rates, especially among non-college-educated adults.
Marriage Has Become A Class Divide
- Marriage rates remain high (around 70%) for college-educated women but have fallen dramatically for women without a degree.
- This class split in family structure amplifies inequality because college-educated kids keep the two-parent advantage.
Marriage As A Capstone Event
- Americans are marrying later and marriages have become more selective and durable, with divorce rates down conditional on marriage.
- Marriage now often functions as a capstone chosen after economic and personal stability is achieved.