State Policy Contexts and Marital Dissolution

• In Event: 50466 - Public Policies, Family Dynamics and Well-being

Abstract

State policy contexts can shape individual-level factors such as educational attainment, poverty, employment, and discrimination that are risk factors for divorce and mortality (i.e., widowhood). However, prior research has not examined whether state policy contexts spillover to families and increase the risk of marital dissolution. Using nationally representative data from the American Community Survey (ACS; 2013-2019) merged with state-level data, this study examines the prevalence of recent widowhood and recent divorce, including racial and gender inequities therein, across states and tests whether state-level characteristics and policy contexts are associated with recent marital dissolution. Results show that marital dissolution varied across states, with the highest rates of recent divorce and recent widowhood in Southern and Appalachian states. Black adults and women were most likely to be widowed or divorced in the past year, with considerable variation across states. Moreover, state characteristics (e.g., mortality rates) and state policy contexts (e.g., policy liberalism) were associated with the odds of recent divorce and widowhood. The present study emphasizes the need for scholars and policymakers to devote more resources and research to the broader contextual factors that contribute to marital dissolution in the United States.

Authors

• Rachel Donnelly, Vanderbilt University

• Blake William Lew Powell, Vanderbilt University