People need marriage. Society needs marriage. That’s how God structured the created order. Still, a trend is afoot that reveals a shocking reality: The United States currently reports the lowest marriage rates since the government began tracking them in 1867—and the effects are devastating. Studies show that less marriage means higher crime and poverty and lower rates of physical and emotional well-being for both parents and children—and those are just the most immediate effects.
To combat pervasive poverty, rising depression, and drug abuse in America, we must prioritize policies that elevate the goal of marriage.