ii Marital Decisions of Low-Income Mothers: Considering Economic Factors and Partner Quality

Marriage has been declining in popularity. Less than 56 percent of adults were married in 2005; a substantial decrease from 1960, when over 67 percent of adults were married (Center for Marriage and Families, 2005). This is a problematic trend; marriage provides important social and health benefits, and it can be economically beneficial, especially for low-income women. A troubling fact though is that poor single-mothers are significantly less likely to marry than their more financially secure counterparts (McLaughlin and Lichter, 1997). Some argue that these women avoid marriage because of a disincentive effect of means-tested transfers. Others, noting that low-income women often express a desire to marry, hypothesize that poor women value marriage and will avoid marrying their partner if he is unfit. This study, using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Survey, examines the underlying motivations and factors that low-income mothers take into account when they choose to marry their partner. Specifically, does welfare ii