Marriage And Economic Growth — A Match Made In Heaven

Investor's Business Daily ^ | 10/21/2015 | Staff

[IBD editorial writer]

Economics: Those struggling to explain stagnant middle-class wages and sluggish economic growth may be overlooking a key ingredient — fewer people are getting married. That's the finding of a new study.

[Mamzelle]

Correlation or causation?

[Biggirl]

Has it to do with government not only with out-of-control taxes and Uncle Sam taking over from real fathers?

[Gil4]

Correlation or causation?

"It found that high levels of marriage and higher levels of intact families "are strongly associated with more economic growth, more economic mobility, less child poverty, and higher median family income.""

""economists across the ideological spectrum have failed to investigate whether strong families increase economic growth."

Correlation only at this point. Despite the strong correlation, research has not been attempted to determine causation.

[Mamzelle]

My bet is on corrolation. A culture that nurtures marriage should obviously nurture prosperity. A culture that destroys marriage—the opposite.

[Gil4]

I would guess it’s a bit of both. The loser who sits in mom’s basement smoking pot and playing video games or watching porn isn’t likely to have much in the way of income or marriage prospects, but I do believe that marriage can raise the economic prospects of the family members because of the built-in accountability and obligation it creates.