October 27, 2014
We can finally declare the budget deficit crisis over; Robert Samuelson has moved on to the talking about the “family deficit.” Actually, many of the points he makes are reasonable, the question is the policy implications.
People in committed relationships, generally involving marriage, do much better on average than do single adults on a variety of social and economic indicators. Perhaps more importantly, their children do much better as well. The data show that marriage is increasingly a middle class and upper class story, with those in the bottom half, and especially bottom quintile of the income distribution much less likely to be married and their children much less likely to be raised by a married couple. And in the United States, children raised by single parents generally don’t do well in life.
It would be nice if the government could so something to ensure that all these single people, and especially single parents, were in happy committed relationships. But governments tend not to be good as matchmakers. Many relationships are seriously abusive. Someone married to a spouse who has serious problems with drugs or alcohol, or who can’t control their temper, is not necessarily doing themselves or their children a favor by remaining in the marriage. And the government would not be doing anyone a service in this situation by preventing a divorce or separation.
Pro-marriage policy (e.g. tax incentives) may sound nice, but only until we give them a bit of thought. A marriage subsidy implicitly penalizes single adults. Recognizing the benefits that marriage offers, do we want to further penalize those not in a happy marriage and their children?
We can pursue policies that will make peoples’ lives more secure and in that way likely increase the frequency of happy marriages. Legalizing marijuana and decriminalizing drug use in general would likely be a big step in the right direction. Men in jail generally are not good husbands and fathers.
Greater employment security and higher wages would also be a big step forward. Frequent job changes and moves are a disruption in anyone’s lives. And the stress of constantly struggling to find the money for the rent or mortgage could make any relationship difficult. And safe and affordable child care would benefit both children and parents, whether they are single or married.
These items are all part of a general economic agenda for full-employment and greater economic security. It would be great if the advocates of marriage would join in for this effort.
Note: Typos corrected, thanks to Robert Salzberg.
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