End of the Line or a New Birth? The Future of Marriage and Family in the West

Event Marriage and Family
Event Marriage and Family

May 24, 2023 End of the Line or a New Birth? The Future of Marriage and Family in the West

Industrialized nations have faced declining marriage and birthrates for decades. What are the implications for Western Civilization if this trend is not reversed? Is there an obligation on federal and state governments to address this problem? Join us for this important conference on policies for strengthening marriage and family.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

9:30 am - 12:00 pm

The Heritage Foundation

214 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington, DC
20002

Description

Industrialized nations have faced declining marriage and birthrates for decades. What are the implications for Western Civilization if this trend is not reversed? Is there an obligation on federal and state governments to address this problem? If so, what policy levers are available, how effective are they, and what are the tradeoffs?

The Heritage Foundation has convened policy experts and social scientists to engage in a dialogue on these vital, complex questions to reveal their causes and explore potential solutions.

The opening panel, moderated by Dr. Jay Richards, will discuss the cultural aspects of family, marriage, and the importance of a thriving marital birth-rate. Roger Severino, Vice President for Domestic Policy, will host a special conversation with The Honorable Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary to the United States, on his country’s groundbreaking policies promoting the Hungarian marital birthrate. The final panel on policy prescriptions, moderated by Paul Ray, will feature research and policy recommendations to promote the marital birthrate.

Please join us for this important conference on federal policies for strengthening marriage and family.

Check in and continental breakfast open at 9:00 am. Lunch will follow the program.

Agenda

Panel I: What Drives Demographics?

  • Preston Brashers, Senior Policy Analyst, Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, The Heritage Foundation
  • Catherine Pakaluk, Ph.D., Director of Social Research and Associate Professor, The Catholic University of America
  • Delano Squires, Research Fellow, DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family, The Heritage Foundation
  • Moderator: Jay Richards, Ph.D., Director, DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family, The Heritage Foundation

Special Presentation: Ambassador Szabolcs Takács on Hungary’s Pro-Family Agenda

  • The Honorable Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary to the United States
  • Moderator: Roger Severino, Vice President, Domestic Policy, The Heritage Foundation

Panel II: Can Government Policies Boost the Married Birth Rate?

  • Lindsey Burke, Ph.D., Director, Center for Education Policy, The Heritage Foundation
  • Rachel Greszler, Senior Research Fellow, Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, The Heritage Foundation
  • Robert Rector, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Health and Welfare Policy, The Heritage Foundation
  • Michael Toscano, Executive Director, Institute for Family Studies
  • Moderator: The Honorable Paul Ray, Director, Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation

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