Check out the new improved familyfacts.org. A resource for charts and information on why the family is so important to a free and civil society. Read More.
The institution of marriage draws mothers and fathers together in the smallest of communities, reinforcing bonds with their children and cementing ties across generations. Marriage is the necessary foundation of the family and therefore essential for societal existence and well-being. Read More.
As recent events in New York show, the marriage debate in America takes place amid serious political and legal fault lines. But efforts to defend and strengthen this bedrock institution ultimately depend on how marriage is understood, articulated, and practiced in civil society.As an undergraduate at Duke University,… Read more
Abstract: Marriage and family are declining in America, following a trend well established in Europe. This breakdown of the American family has dire implications for American society and the U.S. economy. Halting and reversing the sustained trends of nearly four decades will not happen… Read more
It's time for common sense; I'm Ernest Istook. The latest assault on traditional marriage fortunately has been stymied. The… Read more
If Olympic medals were handed out for hubris, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a gay activist group, would be the clear favorite for the gold. Its ruthless effort to deprive the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) a top-notch defense in federal court has collapsed at the starting block. But this… Read more
Testimony before Subcommittee on the Constitution Committee on the Judiciary United States House of Representatives … Read more
Britain's Prince William and his betrothed, Kate Middleton, will marry next April at Westminster Abbey. People around the world will tune in… Read more
For years, the slogan “Stay in School” has communicated an anti-poverty message to young people. Now it’s time for an even more important poverty-fighting theme: “Get Married.” Every student knows that dropping out of high school will hurt her chances of succeeding in life.… Read more
For years, the slogan 'Stay in School' has communicated an anti-poverty message to young people. Now it's time for an even more important poverty-fighting theme: 'Get Married.' Every student knows that dropping out of high school will hurt her chances of succeeding in life. Major media, public education campaigns and… Read more
For years, the slogan "Stay in School" has communicated an anti-poverty message to young people. Now it's time for an even more important poverty-fighting theme: "Get Married." Every student knows that dropping out of high school will hurt her chances of succeeding in life. Major media, public… Read more
Abstract: As we speak about America and free enterprise and the conservative principles that mean so much to us, it is not enough to uphold and defend those ideas. We must put them into action to help all people. In this process, we should… Read more
Introduction[1] By extolling freedom of religion in the schools, President Bill Clinton has raised the level of debate on the importance of religion to American life.[2] The time is ripe for a deeper dialogue on the contribution of religion to the welfare of the nation. America has always… Read more
Abstract: Supporters of Proposition 8 in California have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry. Arguments for same-sex marriage are based fundamentally on the idea that limiting marriage to… Read more
American taxpayers invest heavily in education. Last year, spending on public K–12 education totaled $553 billion, about 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2006.[1] For each child enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school, expenditures averaged $9,266 that year—an increase of 128 percent, adjusted… Read more
Teenage sexual activity is a major problem confronting the nation and has led to a rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), emotional and psychological injuries, and out-of-wedlock childbearing. Abstinence education programs for youth have… Read more
Event Archive (real player) | Event Details Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today regarding an important institution that is increasingly threatened in our society--marriage. Several years ago, I… Read more
Abstract : Some same-sex marriage activists might wish to exclude certain moral and religious viewpoints from the same-sex marriage debate. Evidence shows, however, that religion… Read more
Early this year, Congress will work to renew welfare reform by reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. As part of this process, Congress will also seek to reauthorize the Title V abstinence education program that was created, along with TANF, in the original 1996 welfare reform act, the Personal… Read more
Families have good reason to be concerned about how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010[1] will affect them. While the law will deliver a health insurance entitlement to millions of individuals and families, many of its provisions weaken family choice of coverage, undermine… Read more
Testimony of Jill C. ManningBefore the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rightsand Property Rights Commitee on JudiciaryUnited States SenateNovember 9, 2005 Thank you Senator Brownback, Senator Feingold and distinguished members of the Sub-Committee;I… Read more
Abstract: Child poverty is an ongoing national concern, but few are aware that its principal cause is the absence of married fathers in the home. Marriage remains America’s strongest anti-poverty weapon, yet it continues to decline. As husbands disappear from the home, poverty and… Read more
The mainstream media, liberal politicians, activists, and academia bewail child poverty in the U.S. But in these ritual lamentations, one key fact remains hidden: The principal cause of child poverty in the U.S. is the absence of married fathers in the home. According to the U.S… Read more
Support for Proposition 8, the democratically established marriage amendment in California, has come with a heavy price for many individuals and institutions that think that marriage should remain the union of husband and wife. Publicly available sources, including evidence submitted in a federal lawsuit in California, show that expressions of support for Prop 8 have… Read more
Within the first quarter of 2009, the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress have advanced a number of policies that will undermine family and religious freedom in America. Together they show a serious disregard for parental rights, human dignity, freedom of conscience, and civil society in American life. In… Read more
I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. -Barack Obama, Saddleback Presidential Candidates Forum, August 17, 2008[1] I do not support gay marriage. Marriage has religious and social connotations, and I consider marriage to be between a man and a woman. -Barack Obama, Response to 2008… Read more
While economic disparities between rich and poor are vehemently decried in stump speeches and the main stream media,...… Read more
Starting a career, paying off student loans, and buying a house are all momentous occasions on the journey to American...… Read more
Yesterday’s decision by the Ninth Circuit striking down California’s Proposition 8, which amended the California...… Read more
Today, in a 2–1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against Proposition 8, the California...… Read more
While divorce at any age comes with potentially negative effects, according to new research from Michigan State...… Read more
The benefits of marriage are numerous: from increasing financial health to promoting child well-being, tying the knot...… Read more
The benefits of marriage are numerous, with advantages extending across social and economic situations. Marriage even...… Read more
For many, the end of the holiday season and the beginning of a new year activates a new (or old) set of resolutions. A...… Read more
As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at a few of the victories and challenges for religious liberty during...… Read more
How does marriage fare as the nation heads into the new year? Unfortunately, the most recent government data indicate...… Read more
Research Fellow
Policy Analyst
Director, Domestic Policy Studies
Senior Research Fellow