Starting a career, paying off student loans, and buying a house are all momentous occasions on the journey to American adulthood. While many young men and women still achieve these milestones, tying the knot and settling down are events increasingly avoided on young Americans’ path toward maturity. The increase in the average age at first marriage and the steep drop in the national marriage rate over the past four decades demonstrate the declining view of matrimony among 21st-century young people. Americans are increasingly choosing the loose bonds of cohabitation to …
The benefits of marriage are numerous: from increasing financial health to promoting child well-being, tying the knot can have a profound impact on individuals’ futures. According to a new survey, Americans overwhelmingly recognize the value of marriage to advancing society. (Article continued below chart) A new Rasmussen poll released this week shows that more than three in four Americans consider marriage an important societal institution. According to the survey, 78 percent of American adults say matrimony is at least “somewhat important” to society, including 60 percent who rate marriage as …
Amidst the many policy prescriptions of last night’s speech, President Obama’s State of the Union address was notably void of comment on the religious liberty conflicts his own Administration has created. In yet another assault on religious organizations’ freedom, the Obama Administration released a decision Friday afternoon finalizing an Obamacare health insurance mandate that will restrict the religious liberty of employers to act in accordance with their conscience. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a finalized version of an Obamacare mandate that will require almost all insurance …
The benefits of marriage are numerous, with advantages extending across social and economic situations. Marriage even positively affects married individuals’ health. From decreasing depression to lowering mortality risk and reducing smoking habits—areas where policy remedies are sought but ill-suited to the need—marriage provides a civil-society inoculation far more effective than government intervention. Tying the knot can also guard against heavy alcohol use, with decreased rates of binge drinking among married individuals. Marriage’s effect on drinking habits may be especially important in light of a recent government report showing increased binge …
As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at a few of the victories and challenges for religious liberty during the past 12 months and look forward to greater respect and protection for religious liberty in 2012. HHS “Preventive Service” Mandate In August, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a rule that forces nearly all private health care plans to include coverage for certain contraceptives and surgical sterilization. The mandate’s threat to religious freedom has already caused a stir in the nation’s capital …
A new study released by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday shows that the percentage of married adults has fallen to a record low. According to the report, just 51 percent of Americans are currently married, compared to more than 70 percent of adults 50 years ago. This continued decline of marriage in America, especially among the middle class, signals troublesome news for the health of civil society. As shown on newly updated charts on Heritage’s FamilyFacts.org, marriage rates in the U.S. have fallen precipitously over the past six decades. …
In a rare scenario in Washington, common sense trumped politics this week as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) prevented the controversial Plan B drug from being sold to girls younger than 17 without a prescription. On Wednesday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled a recommendation by the Food and Drug Administration to allow the over-the-counter sale of Plan B, enabling young girls to buy the drug without first consulting a doctor or parent. Agreeing with Secretary Sebelius’s decision, President Obama remarked yesterday: I think it is important for …
This morning, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a full committee hearing to investigate claims of gross politicization of a grant process that stripped funding for a group effectively serving human trafficking victims. In late September, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ceased funding for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) work with victims of sex slavery and trafficking. The bishops’ group had been using HHS funds to assist trafficking victims since 2006. While HHS has not specified a reason for denying USCCB further funding, …
The vast majority of American adults hold a definite belief in God. Yet, despite this persistence of belief in America and the important place of religious practice in civil society, an increasingly narrow view of religion is threatening to force faith out of the public square. Consider the recent mandate by the Department of Health and Human Services that will require almost all insurance providers to cover contraceptives, sterilization procedures, and education and counseling regarding such services—without cost to the insured. The rule includes mandatory coverage of ethically controversial drugs like …
This Thanksgiving, American families will gather around plump turkeys and homemade stuffing to share good food and good conversation with loved ones and family members. The benefits of the quality time families spend together over the Thanksgiving feast can go well beyond the last slice of pumpkin pie. As a brand new chart on Heritage’s FamilyFacts.org shows, sharing meals with family members can mean much more than full stomachs and plentiful leftovers. Teens who eat dinner five or more times per week with their families are at least half as …
