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James Q. Wilson, "Sex and the Marriage Market" in Commentary (March 2002), 165 East 56th Street, New York, New York 10022
There are many reasons for the increase in single-parent households and illegitimate children. In this article, excerpted from his new book The Marriage Problem, James Q. Wilson points to one of them: the fact that "the number of men who are available to be married" is steadily dropping.
The number of men per 100 women is called "the sex ratio." When there are more men than women, women can be choosy about whom they marry. Women can also insist, as a requirement for marriage, that their husbands lead more moral lives or hold responsible jobs. When men are scarce, however, they are in the driver's seat.
Between 1790 and 1910, there were about 105 men for ...