Want prosperity? Embrace marriage, religious liberty, self-sufficiency

There is a school of thought among conservatives that we would all be better off ignoring social issues and focusing on economic issues, because that's what matters to the public and that's how Republicans can start winning elections again.

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But there is a problem with that. The social trends in this nation - especially as they pertain to marriage and families - are huge drivers of the nation's economic condition. Quite simply, the stronger your families, the stronger your economy will be. Pure common sense should be enough to make this case, as we all understand the greater likelihood that children from broken families will struggle in school, struggle in the work force, make poor decisions (like having their own out-of-wedlock children, or engaging in substance abuse) and end up in the criminal justice system. If you're going to try to deny that, well, I don't even know what the point is of trying to talk to you. But now the Heritage Foundation is out with a report that helps to back up this observation. First, check out this list of cultural indicators to see which ones are going in the right, and the wrong directions: The report notes that, for the first time, half of all adults in this country are unmarried, and at least half of all children will spend at least some time living in a home without both parents there and married to each other. Cause and effect? Well, here is more of what they found:

• From 2003 to 2013, the labor force participation rate for adults ages 25 to 54 fell by 2 percentage points. “U.S. labor force participation began falling gradually in 2000—a decline that accelerated sharply after the onset of the Great Recession,” writes James Sherk.
• The unwed birth rate rose 6.7 percentage points between 2002 and 2012. As Ron Haskins explains, “Nonmarital childbearing is one of the preeminent reasons this nation, despite spending about $1 trillion a year on programs for disadvantaged families, is struggling to reduce poverty and increase economic mobility”.
• From 2002 to 2012, self-sufficiency—the ability of a family to sustain an income above the poverty threshold without welfare assistance—declined as the percentage of individuals living in poverty increased by 2.9 percentage points.
• The work participation rate for recipients of cash welfare declined by 5 percentage points from 2000 to 2010. As Robert Doar points out, it has not risen above 30 percent since 2006: “Restoring the original purpose of welfare reform requires reinvigorating the work participation rate”.

This is why the cultural battle is also important. The left opposes the traditional family structure of America as much as it opposes our traditional economic structure. The theme is the same: Everyone should be able to do whatever they want, and face no economic or social consequences for it. (Well, maybe not Tony Dungy.) Right now we have a federal government that is hostile to the traditional family, particularly traditional marriage. I am not suggesting we put in place policies to try to force people into marriages, or into any role they don't choose for themselves. What I am suggesting is that we stop rewarding irresponsibility, and we start teaching young people why traditional families and marriages offer them a stronger, more stable future. That is not only a job for government. In fact, I would say it is not even primarily a job for government, as it's the culture as much as our politicians that has turned hostile toward these traditions. But they all play a part, and Heritage rightly advocates that we need both policies and attitudes that stand up for strong families, strong marriages and religious freedom. I hope it won't offend too many liberals out there if I say to that: "Amen!"