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Abstract
As a part of welfare reform, states throughout the country have enacted legislation to promote marriage. Lawmakers believe that by promoting marriage, the states will achieve lower divorce rates and lower rates of cohabitation by converting cohabitating couples into more stable married households, which in turn will lead to fewer women and children utilizing welfare programs. To determine the impact of state-level legislation, we analyze state-level 1990 and 2000 data in light of sixteen different state-level policy variables that were designed to increase marriage rates, decrease divorce rates, or otherwise have “pro-family” outcomes. This analysis shows few if any compelling differences between states that have enacted these various measures and those that have not.
An earlier version of this article was presented at the 2004 meetings of the Southern Sociological Society in Atlanta, GA. Our thanks to Steve Nock and Jay Corzine for critical feedback on earlier versions.
Notes
∗Significant at p < .10. ∗∗Significant at < .05.
Note: Significant values are in bold.
1We used the marriage rate, not the rate of first marriages, because this is the date available from the U.S. Census Bureau.
∗∗Significant at p < .05.
∗∗Significant at p < .001.
Coefficients and significances shown are from equations with 1990 value and all controls.
∗∗Significant at p < .100.
Coefficients and significances shown are from equations with 1990 value and all controls.
∗∗Significant at p < .100.
Coefficients and significances shown are from equations with 1990 value and all controls.
∗∗Significant at p < .100.
Coefficients and significances shown are from equations with 1990 value and all controls.
∗∗Significant at p < .100.
Coefficients and significances shown are from equations with 1990 value and all controls.
∗∗Significant at p < .100.