The Decline of Marriage Correlates with Inequality - Can Policy Reverse the Trend?
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Children raised by married parents have better outcomes in education, income, and behavior compared to children of single parents.
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The decline in marriage rates has correlated with rising inequality and reduced social mobility.
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It's unclear if promoting marriage can reverse this trend, as factors like job prospects for less educated men and cultural norms seem more influential.
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While restrictive welfare policies don't reduce single parenthood, policies to promote marriage like tax incentives have largely failed.
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The safest bet for good child outcomes still seems to be two-parent families, but it's unclear how to achieve this through policy.