The research you and your staff needs before the hearing. The data that gives you cover to act from an institution with no party affiliation, no predetermined conclusions, and twelve years of credible work informing legislation at the federal and state level.
A quarterly intelligence briefing built specifically for policymakers and staff. Not a newsletter. A working document covering:
What the research shows on the family issues moving through legislation right now
What is coming that we’re looking at that deserves your attention before it becomes a headline
The data points, the framing, and the language that will hold up under scrutiny across the aisle
When you are working on legislation where family research is relevant, we want to hear from you. IFS likely already has what you need.
Family formation, marriage rates, fertility, and the impact of technology on the family aren’t niche or partisan concerns. They are mainstream policy questions with real public pressure behind them. The problem is that too much of the research available on these topics comes from sources with ideological baggage and often pre-determined conclusions that can make using them less credible.
IFS is the exception:
Research cited simultaneously by center-left and center-right outlets and lawmakers
Nearly 30 state laws informed by IFS findings
White House attention on family policy
Findings that follow the data even when it complicates a preferred political position
No government funding. No party capture. No agenda beyond what the research shows.
The legislators and staffers who use IFS may not agree on much. But they can agree that IFS research holds up.
Current Flagship Research
View AllIn this report, we present fresh estimates of fertility for every state with available vital statistics back to 1917, and we also use results from a new survey of over 4,700 Americans to explore how American cultural norms around friendship and celebrity families may shape fertility.
Read The ReportUsing data from the Global Flourishing Study, we find that childhood family conditions—particularly the relationship between father and son—provide a key explanation for why so many young, working-class men are struggling.
Read The ReportThis IFS and Verity research brief finds that liberals are more likely to cite certain anxieties related to fertility decisions relative to conservatives.
Read The Report
Interested in learning more about the work of the Institute for Family Studies? Please feel free to contact us by using your preferred method detailed below.
P.O. Box 1502
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 260-1048
For media inquiries, contact Chris Bullivant ([email protected]).
We encourage members of the media interested in learning more about the people and projects behind the work of the Institute for Family Studies to get started by perusing our "Media Kit" materials.
Before you go, consider subscribing to our weekly emails so we can keep you updated with latest insights, articles, and reports.
Before you go, consider subscribing to IFS so we can keep you updated with news, articles, and reports.
We’ll keep you up to date with the latest from our research and articles.
Working on Legislation?
If you are drafting or building a case for legislation that touches marriage, family formation, or technology's impact on families, reach out. We can often provide research, data and in some cases language that has already been tested.