The Marriage Strengthening Research & Dissemination Center (MAST) recently released a new research brief, “Trends in Relationship Formation and Stability in the United States: Dating, Cohabitation, Marriage, and Divorce.” Co-authored by CCF expert Dr. Karen Benjamin Guzzo, the brief is the first in a series aiming to provide an overview of the current state of […]
Topics of Expertise: Cohabitation, Committed Relationships & Marriage / Couples Conflict, Separation & Divorce / History & Trends on Gender, Marriage & Family Life / Marriage & Divorce / Singles & DatingMarriage & Divorce
Public Policy
Challenges Facing Cohabiting Couples Differ from those of Married Couples in this Crisis

Challenges Facing Cohabiting Couples Differ from those of Married Couples in this Crisis A briefing paper prepared by Amanda Miller, University of Indianapolis, and Sharon Sassler, Cornell University, for the Council on Contemporary Families. Much has been written about the challenges couples face as they adjust to “shelter in place” policies triggered by the coronavirus. […]
Topics of Expertise: Cohabitation, Committed Relationships & Marriage / Couples Conflict, Separation & Divorce / Division of Labor in Families / Domestic Violence & Child Abuse / Economic Inequality / Marriage & Divorce / Public Policy / Trauma and DisasterThe Frontlines of Welfare Reform: Why Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Programs Succeed or Fail
The Frontlines of Welfare Reform: Why Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Programs Succeed or Fail A briefing paper prepared for the Council on Contemporary Families by Jennifer Randles, Assistant Professor of Sociology, California State University, Fresno “Marriage is the foundation of a successful society.” “Promotion of responsible fatherhood and motherhood is integral to successful child rearing […]
Topics of Expertise: Marriage & Divorce / Parenthood: Motherhood/Fatherhood / TANF & Public AssistanceStephanie Coontz cited in SCOTUS decision

CCF Research Director Stephanie Coontz is cited in the SCOTUS decision legalizing same-sex marriage, June 26, 2015. Check out this related story in the Seattle Times.
Topics of Expertise: History & Trends on Gender, Marriage & Family Life / Marriage & DivorceWas the War on Poverty a failure? Or are anti-poverty efforts simply swimming against a stronger tide?

This month marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s declaration of an “unconditional war on poverty.” Yet this month also marks over a quarter century since President Ronald Reagan’s 1988 announcement that the war on poverty was over, and that poverty had won. In this report, University of Maryland sociologist Philip Cohen examines the many early victories, as well as the setbacks in the War on Poverty.
Topics of Expertise: Child Welfare / Economic Inequality / Marriage & Divorce / TANF & Public Assistance50th Anniversary of the War on Poverty: Have we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory?

This month marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s declaration of an “unconditional war on poverty.” Yet this month also marks over a quarter century since President Ronald Reagan’s 1988 announcement that the war on poverty was over, and that poverty had won. To mark the anniversaries of these very different points in the government’s role in poverty reduction, two researchers from the Council on Contemporary Families assess where we have come from and where we stand today.
Topics of Expertise: Child Welfare / Economic Inequality / Marriage & Divorce / TANF & Public AssistanceNew Jersey’s Historic ‘Civil Union’ Opportunity
The New Jersey Supreme Court has given the state Legislature a historic opportunity, and I don’t mean the chance to allow same-sex couples to marry. The Legislature has the chance to enact civil unions for all couples – same-sex and different-sex. New Zealand does it. So does the Netherlands, under the name “registered partnership.” Maine and the District of Columbia recognize “domestic partnerships” for both straight and gay couples, although both give domestic partners fewer rights than those accorded married couples. Even New Jersey’s current domestic partnership law allows different-sex couples to register – but only if both partners are over 62, presumably a nod to the impact of remarriage on certain pension and retirement benefits.
Topics of Expertise: LGBTQ Partnering & Families / Marriage & DivorceHow Should We Think About the Taxpayer Consequences of Divorce?

A new report, “The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing: First-Ever Estimates for the Nation and all 50 States”, raises the question of how much divorce costs taxpayers. This is an intriguing question, but unfortunately this report falls short on providing the answer. In the worst traditions of “advocacy science” the authors pick […]
Topics of Expertise: Couples Conflict, Separation & Divorce / Economic Inequality / Fertility,Reproduction & Sexual Health / Gender & Sexuality / Marriage & Divorce / TANF & Public AssistanceThe Steady Rise of Non-Traditional Romantic Unions

By Michael J. Rosenfeld Professor of Sociology Stanford University mrosenfe@stanford.edu, 415.205.1892 Prior to 1970, the overwhelming majority of all couples were same-race married couples. Couples who lived together outside of marriage, whether heterosexual or same-sex, were practically invisible. Inter-racial marriages were extremely rare. In fact, until 1967, many states in the US had laws against interracial […]
Topics of Expertise: Biracial/ Multicultural Children and Interracial/ Multicultural Families / Gender & Sexuality / History & Trends on Gender, Marriage & Family Life / LGBTQ Partnering & Families / Marriage & Divorce / Race, Ethnicity & Culture / Singles & DatingWill Providing Marriage Rights To Same-Sex Couples Undermine Heterosexual Marriage? Evidence From Scandinavia

By M. V. Lee Badgett Professor of Economics University of Massachusetts, Amherst As a way to understand what might happen, some writers have looked to the experience of those Scandinavian countries that pioneered giving a marriage-like status to gay and lesbian couples. Denmark adopted such a law in 1989, Norway in 1993, Sweden in 1994, […]
Topics of Expertise: Gender & Sexuality / LGBTQ Partnering & Families / Marriage & DivorceEXPERTS
Professor of Economics, School of Public Policy UMass Amherst; Williams Institute UCLA
Assistant Professor of Family, Health, and Policy in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah
Director of Research and Public Education, Council on Contemporary Families; Professor, The Evergreen State College
PhD Professor and Co-Chair of the College of Environmental Science, University of Missouri
Assistant Professor, Illinois State University
Professor of Family & Consumer Studies and Adjunct Professor of Sociology, University of Utah