Reducing Poverty by Revitalizing Marriage in Low-Income Communities: A Memo to President-elect Obama

Publication Date: January 2009

Publisher: Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): Robert Rector

Research Area: Social conditions

Keywords: Presidential transition; Marriage; Poverty

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The decline of marriage is a major cause of child poverty. Roughly two-thirds of poor children live in single-parent homes. Marital collapse is also a major contributor to welfare dependence: Each year, government spends over $250 billion for means-tested welfare benefits for single parents. Revitalized marriage can have a powerful impact in reducing poverty in low-income communities.