
There are two Americas. One boasts solid families, well-paying jobs, safe homes, and good education. The other has children raised by one parent, poor neighborhoods, crime, and low-paying jobs. What has caused the divide? In this penetrating study, James Q. Wilson argues that the answer lies in the importance of marriage and the devastating effects of divorce and cohabitation.
Wilson's meticulous research shows how the erosion of family life has damaged children's futures, leading to school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, and a greater likelihood of emotional problems, drug use, and criminal activity. With precision and persuasiveness, he reveals the sources of today's crisis -- from the glittering ideals of the Enlightenment to the shameful practice of American slavery -- while also offering bold solutions. Incisive, intelligent, and thought-provoking, The Marriage Problem is a clarion call to rebuild the family, and society, by returning a solid marital structure to its core.
James Q. Wilson was born in Denver, Colorado. In 1952, he received a B.A. degree from the University of Redlands. In 1957 he received a M.A. degree in political science from the University of Chicago, followed by a Ph.D. degree in 1959. In 1961, he became the Shattuck Professor of Government at Harvard University. During this time, he contributed to several government policy bodies, including the White House Task Force on Crime in 1966, the National Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse Prevention in 1972, the Attorney General's Task Force on Violent Crime in 1981, and the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board from 1985 to 1990. In 1987, he relocated and became the James Collins Professor of Management and Public Policy at the UCLA Anderson School of Management at UCLA. In 1998, he became the Ronald Reagan Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy. He is currently a professor and senior fellow at the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy at Boston College.

There are two Americas. One boasts solid families, well-paying jobs, safe homes, and good education. The other has children raised by one parent, poor neighborhoods, crime, and low-paying jobs. What has caused the divide? In this penetrating study, James Q. Wilson argues that the answer lies in the importance of marriage and the devastating effects of divorce and cohabitation.
Wilson's meticulous research shows how the erosion of family life has damaged children's futures, leading to school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, and a greater likelihood of emotional problems, drug use, and criminal activity. With precision and persuasiveness, he reveals the sources of today's crisis -- from the glittering ideals of the Enlightenment to the shameful practice of American slavery -- while also offering bold solutions. Incisive, intelligent, and thought-provoking, The Marriage Problem is a clarion call to rebuild the family, and society, by returning a solid marital structure to its core.
James Q. Wilson was born in Denver, Colorado. In 1952, he received a B.A. degree from the University of Redlands. In 1957 he received a M.A. degree in political science from the University of Chicago, followed by a Ph.D. degree in 1959. In 1961, he became the Shattuck Professor of Government at Harvard University. During this time, he contributed to several government policy bodies, including the White House Task Force on Crime in 1966, the National Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse Prevention in 1972, the Attorney General's Task Force on Violent Crime in 1981, and the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board from 1985 to 1990. In 1987, he relocated and became the James Collins Professor of Management and Public Policy at the UCLA Anderson School of Management at UCLA. In 1998, he became the Ronald Reagan Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy. He is currently a professor and senior fellow at the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy at Boston College.