Encouraging Marriage and Discouraging Divorce
This paper describes initiatives, both government-based and private/religious, aimed at reducing divorce and encouraging strong marriages.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Heritage Foundation • March 26, 2001

Reducing Domestic Violence: How the Healthy Marriage Initiative Can Help
This paper addresses the concern that the Healthy Marriage Initiative would exacerbate the problem of domestic violence.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Heritage Foundation • March 30, 2004

What's Happening to Marriage?
This paper reports on long-term trends that point to the weakening of the institution of marriage.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The National Marriage Project • 1999

Ignoring Teens' Romantic Lives
In this paper the author argues for replacing sex education with comprehensive relationship education.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The National Marriage Project • June 01, 2003

Marriage and Welfare Reform: The Overwhelming Evidence that Marriage Education Works
This article looks at the effects of the 1996 welfare reform law to strengthen and increase the number of two-parent families in the United States.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Heritage Foundation • October 25, 2002

Marriage and Welfare Reform: The Overwhelming Evidence That Marriage Education Works
This research brief summarizes the results of 29 peer-reviewed social science journal articles which show that marriage education in the United States has had a positive impact on the nation's marital unions.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC • October 25, 2002

The Taxpayer Cost of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing
The authors of this report estimate that divorce and unwed childbearing cost American taxpayers $112 billion annually.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Institute for American Values, Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Georgia Family council, Families Northwest • 2008

The Relationship Context of Births Outside of Marriage: The Rise of Cohabitation
This brief examines the growing rate of births to unwed parents.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Child Trends • May 2007

Strengthening Couples and Marriage in Low-Income Communities
This paper discusses the importance of and challenges to promoting marriage in low-income communities, with a particular focus on the situation among urban African-Americans.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Resource Center on Couples and Marriage Policy, Center for Law and Social Policy • 2002

Policy Responses to Couple Conflict and Domestic Violence: A Framework for Discussion
This document discusses public policy responses to domestic conflict, such as couple education, coparenting education, programs for abusive partners, and responsible fatherhood programs.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center for Law and Social Policy • February 01, 2002

The Benefits of Marriage and Why Government Should Support It
This essay argues the state should support marriage and lays out the reasons why: improved child outcomes, improved economic and emotional outcomes for parents among them.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• American Values • 2004

Why Congress Should Ignore Radical Feminist Opposition To Marriage
This article provides a historical review of feminism, as well as relevant research on marriage and family, ...
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Heritage Foundation • June 16, 2003

The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative
This policy brief outlines the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative which aims to reduce the state divorce and non-marital childbearing rates through instruction in marriage and relationship skills.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• US Department of Health and Human Services • December 2006

More than a Dating Service? State Activities Designed to Strengthen and Promote Marriage
This report describes some of the numerous and varied programs and policies that are being implemented in various states to promote marriage and two-parent families.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center for Law and Social Policy • October 01, 2002

Beyond Marriage Licenses: Efforts in States to Strengthen Marriage and Two-Parent Families - A State-by-State Snapshot
This report provides a state-by-state review of government programs that have been implemented since the mid-1990s to promote and strengthen marriages and lower divorce rates.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center for Law and Social Policy • April 01, 2004

Strengthening Couples and Marriage in Low-Income Communities
This paper examines characteristics of the poor and looks at how these factors are influencing the declining marriage rate of low income couples.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center on Law and Social Policy • 2002

Is a Baby a Good Reason to Marry?
This article examines the reasons which lead women and men to decide not to marry the other parent of their child.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center of the American Experiment • Summer 2001

The Effects of Divorce on America
This Heritage Backgrounder provides a brief overview of the cost of divorce for children and makes recommendations on how to strengthen marriage.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Heritage Foundation • June 05, 2000

Marriage-Plus
This paper discusses the current debate concerning the government's interest in promoting marriage as a solution to many societal problems.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center for Law and Social Policy • April 08, 2002

The Legislative Marriage Agenda and its Potential Meaning for Programs Serving Low-Income Families
This paper discusses the American government's increasing focus on marriage and fatherhood under George Bush.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center on Fathers, Families, and Public Policy • May 2001

State Policies to Promote Marriage
This report describes state policies and legislation designed to promote marriage and two-parent families, as partial fulfilment of the aims of the 1996 welfare reforms in the United States.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation • September 2002

To Have and to Hold: Congressional Vows on Marriage and Sex
This article outlines government initiatives to promote abstinence-unless-married education and marriage in the United States, and discusses the ways in which the reauthorization of federal welfare laws might contribute to this goal.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center for Law and Social Policy • March 2005

A Literature Review on the Effectiveness of Marriage Education
This paper studies the form, function, and effectiveness of marriage education courses and programs by briefly examining relevant literature and research.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Australian Institute of Family Studies. • September 01, 1999

What Policy Developments Would Be Most Likely to Secure an Improvement in Marital Quality
This paper discusses the extent to which government policy may be able to promote marital stability in Britain.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Lord Chancellor's Department • 1999

Towards Understanding the Reasons for Divorce
This paper investigates the most common causes of divorce in Australia, including infidelity, communication problems, incompatibility, and abuse.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Australian Institute of Family Studies • June 1999

Should Government Promote Healthy Marriages?
This brief paper discusses whether or not the government should support and fund marriage promotion programs.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Urban Institute • May 31, 2002

Promoting Marriage as Welfare Policy: Looking at Public Role in Private Lives
This paper explores the government's use of welfare reform as a means of promoting and strengthening the institution of marriage.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The George Washington University • February 15, 2002

Perception Correction for Congress: New Study Indicates Poor Parents Want to Marry
In response to the "Fragile Families" Survey, which indicated that policies encouraging marriage were well-received among poor and unwed parents, this paper recommends that Members of Congress provide funding through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Act in order to promote marriage.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder • October 01, 2001

Fragile Families and the Marriage Agenda
This paper looks at the increase in non-marital childbearing since the 1960s, and discusses whether or not recent federal marriage initiatives, such as marriage education programs, will be successful in encouraging marriage and improving child well-being.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• Center for Research on Child Wellbeing • December 01, 2003

Understanding the President’s Healthy Marriage Initiative
This paper discusses the benefits of marriage as opposed to the negative outcomes of single-parent homes and concentrates specifically on the explanation of the President's Healthy Marriage Initiative.
• Category: Public Policy > Marriage/Relationship Education Policy
• The Heritage Foundation • March 26, 2004