A podcast with Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse.

The MP3 file is here.

Topics:

• do governments have an interest in preserving marriage? Why?
• when a divorce occurs, what does the government decide for you?
• why preserving marriage helps to preserve your liberty
• how every child has an interest in the stability of their parents’ union
• how every child has a right to care from each biological parent
• how justice requires us to care about the needs of vulnerable children
• the government should legislate to protect the rights of children
• how much does a divorce cost the couple?
• how much does a divorce cost taxpayers (i.e. – government services)
• how can government protect marriages
• is mandatory counseling before a divorce a good idea?
• is a mandatory waiting period before a divorce a good idea?
• how can changes to custody rules discourage divorce?
• is fault-based divorce a good idea?
• should fault be considered when splitting up property after a divorce?

For such a short podcast, this really rocks. Every sentence is brilliant.

I have tons of ideas of how the government could prevent divorce and encourage marriage. I would cut off all subsidies for failure, and replace them with vouchers for counseling, tax credits for getting married, and tax credits for staying married. I also like covenant marriages. I think I would be way more likely to marry if I could get a covenant marriage. It’s a really fun thing to think about, because you want to preserve liberty while still encouraging people to be careful who they marry and how they related to their children. What’s your idea to preserve marriage?