Melissa Kearney examines impact of declining marriage rates

Faculty Associate Melissa Kearney's new Opinion article in the New York Times emphasizes the need for researchers and policymakers to develop solutions to strengthen families and reverse declining marriage rates in the U.S.

Kearney notes: "We need to work more to understand why so many American parents are raising their children without a second parent in the home, and we must find effective ways to strengthen families in order to increase the share of children raised in healthy, stable two-parent homes. Doing so will improve the well-being of millions of children, help close class gaps and create a stronger society for us all."

Read the New York Times article here.

Read about Kearney's new book, The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind, here.

Kara Miller summarized the book for The Boston Globe on September 10, 2023

Charles Fain Lehman reviewed Prof. Kearney's book on the Institute for Family Studies blog on September 18, 2023

Alyssa Rosenberg responded with an Op-Ed in the Washington Post on September 19, 2023

As did Meghan McArdle on September 20, 2023

Annie Lowrey reviewed Prof. Kearney's book in The Atlantic on September 22, 2023.