Title
Contents
Acknowledgements 7
The Authors 8
Abbreviations 9
Summary 11
1. Introduction 17
1.1 Introduction 17
1.2 Review's objectives and scope 18
1.3 Conduct of the review 19
1.4 Background: UK and US family structures and welfare systems 19
1.4.1 Demographic changes affecting UK families 19
1.4.2 UK welfare system 24
1.4.3 Demographic changes affecting US families 25
1.4.4 US welfare system 27
1.5 Theoretical perspectives and empirical observations 31
1.5.1 Understanding welfare systems and family structure 32
1.5.2 Marriage and welfare systems 34
1.5.3 Cohabitation and welfare systems 38
1.5.4 Union dissolution and welfare systems 40
1.5.5 Fertility and single motherhood and welfare systems 42
1.6 Methodological issues 45
1.6.1 Non-experimental methods 45
1.6.2 Experimental methods 48
1.6.3 Quasi-experimental methods 50
1.6.4 Other methodological issues 50
1.7 Structure of report 51
2. Partnering 52
2.1 Introduction 54
2.1.1 Union/marriage bonuses and penalties 54
2.2 Research evidence on welfare systems and partnering 57
2.2.1 UK evidence on union formation and the welfare system 57
2.2.2 Cross-country comparative studies on union formation 59
2.2.3 US evidence on union formation and the welfare system 60
2.2.4 Canadian evidence on union formation and the welfare system 76
2.3 Overview 80
3. Union dissolution 81
3.1 Introduction 82
3.2 Research evidence on union dissolution 82
3.2.1 UK evidence on union dissolution and the welfare system 82
3.2.2 US evidence on union dissolution and the welfare system 84
3.2.3 Australia evidence on union dissolution and the welfare system 86
3.3 Overview 87
4. Childbearing and single parents 89
4.1 Introduction 90
4.2 Research evidence 90
4.2.1 UK evidence on welfare systems and childbearing and single parenthood 91
4.2.2 Cross-national evidence on welfare systems and childbearing and single parenthood 93
4.2.3 US evidence on welfare systems and childbearing and single parenthood 97
4.3 Overview 121
5. Implications for the UK welfare system 123
5.1 Introduction 124
5.2 Theoretical and empirical ambiguity 125
5.3 Policy transfer 126
5.4 Welfare policy and the family 127
5.4.1 Is there a case for marriage penalties? 127
5.4.2 Reducing marriage penalties 129
5.4.3 Policy options for reducing (non-marital) childbearing 131
5.4.4 Welfare systems and modern living arrangements 133
5.5 Overview 134
6. Conclusions 135
6.1 Introduction 135
6.2 Research implications 137
6.2.1 Further research 138
6.2.2 Undertaking research on welfare systems and family structure 138
6.3 Final thoughts 141
Appendix A: Non-experimental methods of analysis 143
Appendix B: UK studies modelling the amount and distribution of union bonuses and penalties 147
Appendix C: Summary of Moffitt's (1998b) review of US non-experimental studies 151
Appendix D: US studies modelling the amount and distribution of union bonuses and penalties 154
References 158
Table C.1 Number of estimates of welfare effects on marriage and fertility inreview by Moffitt (1998b) 153
Figure 1.1 Heuristic model for how the welfare system might influence family structure 33
Boxes
Box 2.1 Further details - Francesconi and van der Klaauw (2007) 58
Box 2.2 Further details - Moffitt et al. (1998) 63
Box 2.3 Further details - Blackburn (2000) 64
Box 2.4 Further details - Bitler et al. (2004) 65
Box 2.5 Further details - Schoeni and Blank (2000) 66
Box 2.6 Further details - Ellwood (2000b) 73
Box 2.7 Further details - Gassman-Pines and Yoshikawa (2006) 75
Box 3.1 Further details - Francesconi et al. (2007) 82
Box 4.1 Further details - Brewer et al. (2007) 93
Box 4.2 Further details - Hoynes (1997a) 102
Box 4.3 Further details - Lichter et al. (1997) 104
Box 4.4 Further details - Fitzgerald and Ribar (2004) 106
Box 4.5 Further details - Joyce et al. (2004) 107
Box 4.6 Further details - Dyer and Fairlie (2004) 108
Box 4.7 Further details - Kearney (2004) 109
Box 4.8 Further details - Ryan et al. (2006) 110
Box 4.9 Further details - Camasso (2004) 112
Box 4.10 Further details - Horvath-Rose and Peters (2000) 113
Box 4.11 Further details - Horvath-Rose et al. (2008) 115