Family and Marriage News
Coverage of family life, marriage, parenting, and cultural issues shaping households across America, with clear reporting and thoughtful analysis.
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opinion
How Much a Family Would Spend If They Were Like the Government
American families understand that adhering to a budget is relatively simple: Don’t spend more than you take in, and don’t borrow more than you can afford to. Those lessons are lost on the federal government, however, as the nation continues to pile on debt by spending billions more than it collects in taxes year after… -
opinion
Memo to Supreme Court: Nothing in the Constitution Requires States to Redefine Marriage
Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about the constitutional status of state laws defining marriage as the exclusive union of husband and wife. The overarching question before the Supreme Court is not whether an exclusively male–female marriage policy is the best, but only whether it is allowed by the U.S. Constitution…. -
opinion
What You Need to Know About Marriage and the Supreme Court
Does the Constitution require the government to recognize same-sex marriages? With the Supreme Court set to hear arguments this term on cases about same-sex marriage, it’s a pressing question. In February, Ryan T. Anderson, the William E. Simon fellow at The Heritage Foundation, spoke to students and faculty at The Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio… -
news
Former Fire Chief Sues Atlanta, Mayor for Firing Him ‘Solely’ Because of His Beliefs About Marriage
Former Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran filed today a federal lawsuit against the city of Atlanta and its Mayor Kasim Reed alleging they terminated his employment because of his belief in traditional marriage. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, states Cochran’s was fired “solely” because: …[Cochran]… -
opinion
Does Marriage Make You Happier? What a New Study Found
“Those who marry are more satisfied than those who remain single,” claims a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research. But does marriage itself influence happiness? Or is it just that happier people are more likely to wed? This study gives support to the idea that marriage itself contributes to happiness. (In other… -
news
‘It’s a Two-Way Street’: What Americans Think About Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty
A new Associated Press-GFK poll shows that more Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, but a majority believe businesses that provide wedding services shouldn’t have to participate in a same-sex marriage if they have a religious objection. According to the poll, 44 percent of Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, 39 percent oppose it, and 15 percent… -
news
This Daughter of a Gay Parent Thinks Traditional Marriage Should Be Protected
In an open letter to Justice Anthony Kennedy, the daughter of a same-sex couple writes that the Supreme Court should “protect marriage.” Katy Faust, who serves on the Academic and Testimonial Councils of the International Children’s Rights Institute, writes that the interests of children are best protected by preserving marriage as a union between one… -
opinion
Support Family-Friendly, Economically-Wise Policies—Not Transportation Pork or Dependency
Is Obama’s new federally-funded infrastructure package the key to strengthening our nation’s families? That’s the argument of W. Bradford Wilcox of the American Enterprise Institute and Robert Lehrman of the Urban Institute in their essay “How to Revive the American Dream in Blue-Collar America.” It’s a misguided policy prescription, the fruit of a commitment to… -
opinion
Re-Open the Doors of Opportunity: Restore Marriage and the Family
In his State of the Union address, President Obama talked about how to deal with what he frames as unjust income disparity in our nation. Among his responses were proposals to raise taxes on higher income brackets to benefit those with lower incomes. The President once again ignored the role that marriage plays in opening… -
opinion
What’s the Real Story on Marriage and Family Trends? Here Are 11 Findings
What’s the story on American marriages and families from 2014? Here is a list of just some of the findings: 1. Americans Still Like Marriage A full 67 percent of Americans disagree with the idea that marriage is outdated, according to a 2014 report from the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture…. -
news
Pope Francis: Redefinition of Marriage Is Threat to Family
Fresh off his controversial comments about free speech concerning the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Pope Francis turned his attention to family issues. “The family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage,” says @Pontifex In Manila, capital of the Philippines and the country’s second largest… -
opinion
Is the Next Roe v. Wade Coming? Supreme Court to Hear Marriage Case
Today the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it would rule on the constitutional status of state marriage laws. It granted certiorari and consolidated four cases coming out of Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. The Supreme Court should uphold these laws and respect the constitutional authority of citizens and their elected officials to… -
news
Could Millennials Change Their Views on Same-Sex Marriage? What Ryan Anderson Thinks.
Have conservatives lost millennials in the marriage debate? A pro-traditional marriage panel speaking on issues of life, marriage and religious liberty was challenged with that question yesterday at Heritage Action’s 2015 Conservative Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Ryan Anderson, who researches and writes about marriage and religious liberty at The Heritage Foundation, argued that the… -
opinion
The Surprising Speech on Marriage From the Creator of ‘The Affair’
It was just like Hollywood to create and flaunt a show around the premise of an affair—and then actually call the show “The Affair.” But, after winning the award for best TV drama at the Golden Globes last night, the show’s co-creator Sarah Treem had something refreshing to say about the institution of marriage. She… -
news
Jeb Bush: We Need to ‘Show Respect’ for Both Supporters, Opponents of Same-Sex Marriage
Florida Republicans Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio – both potential presidential candidates – offered their reaction to their state’s recent decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, after a federal district judge ruled that it was unconstitutional for county clerks to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Earlier this week, Bush issued a statement… -
news
Is Porn to Blame for the Declining Marriage Rate?
A recent study suggests there is a significant culprit in the decline of marriage rates among young adults—pornography. According to the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), the rise of easily accessible and free pornographic content on the Internet and the declining marriage rate isn’t necessarily just a coincidence. The group concluded that porn “is negatively associated… -
opinion
In One Chart: What If a Typical Family Spent Money Like the Federal Government
The federal government has a spending problem. The national debt is tipping $18 trillion–and growing. But what if an American family spent the way the United States does? Check out the chart below for a (scary) perspective. -
opinion
What Christmas Means to My Immigrant Family
I’m not much of a sentimental guy, but I have to admit I get pretty sentimental at Christmas. It is a special time in my family, not least because of eventful Christmases that my parents, who are no longer with us, experienced in their lives. I’ve written about those Christmases on previous occasions, such as… -
opinion
Tim Scott: Why Marriage Matters for Fighting Poverty
After 50 years of the War on Poverty with little results, it’s time for a new path forward. In a speech at the 2014 Heritage Antipoverty Forum, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., described his vision to lift more Americans out of poverty. Scott’s speech emphasized an often-overlooked factor contributing to opportunity: marriage. He spoke of the… -
opinion
What Americans Really Think About Relationships, Cohabitation and Marriage
What do Americans think about marriage and relationships? And do these attitudes line up with what research shows is best for relationships? A new, nationally representative survey of Americans ages 18-60 by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture helps answer this question. What Americans Say about Cohabitation The Austin Institute survey…