Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The American family has changed dramatically over the past four decades, raising urgent questions about marriage, economic stability, and child well-being.
In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, Melissa Kearney, economist and director of the Strengthening Families Research Initiative, explores the decline in marriage, the rise of single-parent households, and falling fertility rates in the United States. Drawing on decades of research, she connects these trends to economic inequality, child well-being, and public policy—making the case that strengthening families is essential to improving outcomes across society.
Show links:
• Listen and subscribe (https://stories.nd.edu/podcast/)
• Episode page (https://stories.nd.edu/podcast/what-happened-to-the-traditional-american-family/)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:29 Declining US Birth Rate
03:14 Family Structure and Economic Challenges
12:29 The Future of Public Policy for U.S. Families
The American family has changed dramatically over the past four decades, raising urgent questions about marriage, economic stability, and child well-being.
In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, Melissa Kearney, economist and director of the Strengthening Families Research Initiative, explores the decline in marriage, the rise of single-parent households, and falling fertility rates in the United States. Drawing on decades of research, she connects these trends to economic inequality, child well-being, and public policy—making the case that strengthening families is essential to improving outcomes across society.
Show links:
• Listen and subscribe (https://stories.nd.edu/podcast/)
• Episode page (https://stories.nd.edu/podcast/what-happened-to-the-traditional-american-family/)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:29 Declining US Birth Rate
03:14 Family Structure and Economic Challenges
12:29 The Future of Public Policy for U.S. Families
