Liberty Expose: All In The Family

Vika Glitter

Family has long been considered the cornerstone of civilization, the foundational building blocks on which communities, states, and nations rest upon. Within the United States, family and the union of marriage have traditionally served as a constant anchor shaping societal norms, responsibility and American culture at large. Although the definitions of marriage have evolved beyond the Norman Rockwell-style imagery of a mid-century nuclear family, the institution of marriage’s cultural importance remains paramount. Conservative politicians and think tanks often argue that the decline of marriage among Americans is a purely cultural phenomenon. Yet this cultural diagnosis overlooks the institutional and economic symptoms that increasingly inhibit family formation and make stable households difficult to sustain, let alone thrive. 

Zoning Laws

The foremost obstacle that zoning laws present to family formation and stability stems from the widespread use of R-1 Zoning. Short for “Residential Single-Unit Zoning”, these districts permit only detached single-family dwellings within their designated zones, while prohibiting the construction of townhouses, apartments, and duplexes that potentially offer a more affordable route to home ownership for newly wed couples and low-income families. Through constraining the development of large portions of residential land to single-family dwellings alone, these zoning laws reduce the overall housing supply and contribute to the increasing cost of homes that, on paper, should be affordable and accessible to families. 

Beyond R-1 Zoning, the implementation of minimum lot size requirements presents another hindrance to the affordability of homes for families across America, These zoning regulations set the smallest amount of land a home can be constructed on, and these figures can vary greatly from municipality to municipality. By forcing would-be homeowners to purchase more land and square-footage, often far larger than families require, minimum lot size requirements inflate housing prices and eliminate the development, both on an individual and commercial scale, of smaller, entry-level homes from the market. 

Homeownership is often considered to be a necessary prerequisite for marriage and the raising of children, but as housing costs rise in the wake of zoning laws, family formation is faced with a staggering financial burden to overcome. 

Till Debt Do Us Part

Student debt poses another institutional obstacle to family formation and the day-to-day lives of American families. As college enrollment figures continue to rise, the accumulated amount of national student debt soars in relation. In 2023, the average student debt for a bachelor’s degree amounted between $20,000 and $24,999. For postgraduate degrees, these figures rose to between $40,000 to $49,999, with a quarter of Americans holding an advanced degree owing $100,000 or more in 2023. Higher education is viewed as a proud milestone in the lives of many Americans, followed by homeownership, marriage, and raising a family. But with the average price of a single-family home rising each year, the question of financing a home or student loans presents a stark challenge for American families. 

Student loans typically require payments to begin in the preliminary years following graduation. It is within this same timeframe that many young adults begin to look toward fulfilling future milestones such as marriage and homeownership. The increased cost and prevalence of student loan debt may contribute to the rising average age in which couples decide to get married. Couples facing the burden of student debt are more likely to postpone marriage and children, not out of lack of desire, but because student loan debt renders these goals financially unfeasible for many graduates.

The Cost Of Childcare

While zoning laws may inhibit families from accessing affordable housing, and student loan debt may cause couples to postpone their wedding dates, the cost of childcare remains an ever present financial strain on families across the country. American families spend between 8.9% to 16.0% of their median income on external care for one child alone. The yearly cost of infant care for families is higher than in-state college tuition in 38 states, as well as in Washington DC, and in many states the financial cost of childcare is greater than the average rent. These costs are compounded with each child, and the increasing cost of childcare may factor into why younger Americans plan to have less children than ever before.

The cost of childcare has risen 214% since 1990, and is one of the fastest growing expenses for American families. For families already facing tight finances, the economic hurdles of modern childcare deal an even heavier blow. Around 134,000 lower-income households are thrust into poverty each year, and with the increasing cost of groceries and housing, tight budgets continue to be stretched even thinner.

Numerous federal and state welfare programs are geared towards assisting impoverished families with the financial struggles of childcare. Programs such as the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) provide funding to states resulting in childcare subsidies, allowing parents to work or return to school. Applicant’s income for CCDF assistance must fall at or below 85% of each respective state’s median income, leaving families whose income falls above that threshold unable to receive this government assistance. Other welfare initiatives, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), factor in childcare costs and deduct them from a family’s income. However, a significant portion of families receiving this assistance do not claim these deduction benefits, even with a large number of households containing at least one child.

In effect the welfare state has made marriage economically irrational for most low and moderate income families. — Robert Rector

Despite the best intentions of these welfare programs, welfare assistance discourages marriage amongst low-income households. For American couples planning on getting hitched, the idea of marriage, backed by no safety-net other than their own, may be a financially unobtainable and unrealistic goal. 

The Conservative Answer

If everyday, working American families are indeed the “backbone and heartbeat of our country”, as President Trump remarked in a 2017 address, it falls to conservative politicians and lawmakers to look past the often quoted cultural assailments and address the underlying institutional and economic crises that inhibit family formation and place American families on an already unsteady financial footing. An increase in an already overwhelmed welfare system, with 90 programs that contain a consequential marriage penalty, is arguably not the answer. So where does the solution lie?

The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, reintroduced by Alabama Senator Katie Britt in March of 2025, aims to lighten the burden of childcare by reinforcing existing tax policies and strengthening programs such as the Dependent Care Assistance Plans (DCAP) to keep more money in the pockets of American families. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley echoes Britt’s legislation, advocating proposals that would increase the per-child credit of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) from its current threshold of $2000 to $5000. In 2021, Hawley put forth the Parent Tax Credit Act, geared towards supporting families by establishing a fully refundable tax credit of $12,000 for married couples with children. Through such legislation dedicated towards tax relief, American families would receive much needed economic breathing room that does not come at the expense of their fellow taxpayers. 

Legislation tailored to eliminating restrictive zoning policies, such as the Housing Supply Frameworks Act introduced by Nebraska Representative Mike Flood, would help erase restrictive zoning limits and equip the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with the tools and guidelines necessary to help combat the housing crisis within the United States. Access to affordable housing is a primary concern for Americans across the political spectrum, and an increase in housing development would drive down obscene housing prices and make homeowning a reality for millions of families across our country.

Pro-family policies such as these are a path forward to not only strengthening the economic resilience of American families, but would ensure that homeownership, marriage and raising a family remain an accessible chapter to each citizen’s American Dream.