Annotated Bibliography

1. Olsen, John Defrain, and Linda Skogrand. Marriages & Families. New York, New York:

McGraw Hill, 2008.

The authors of this college textbook are simply stating a fact that marriage continues to

be unsuccessful in our society. This is relevant to my topic because it helps me to prove the need

for the Healthy Marriage Initiative. Table 4.1 “The communication Strengths of Happy Versus

Unhappy Married Couples” points out five critical areas that are critical to happy marriages. This

is relevant to my topic because it shows what strengths we need to build as a society to have

happy marriages.

2. Schaifly, Phyllis “Marriage Is The Key to Spending Cuts”

http://www.townhall.com/columnist/PhylissSchaifly/2010/10/12/marriage_is_the_key_to_spendi

ng_cuts_html. (Accessed 22, October 2010).

This article talks about how the attacks by Gays are only part of the problem. It points out

that marriage is being attacked by unilateral divorce, feminist hostility toward marriage, the bias

of family courts against fathers and the taxpayer paid financial incentives that legitimize

illegitimate births. It points out that lack of marriage drops the probability of child poverty by

82%. This is relevant to my topic because it shows the financial aspect and need for marriage in

our society. Phyllis Schaifly is a columnist for townhall.com. She has been the national leader for

the conservative movement since 1964. She has been the leader of the pro-family movement

since 1972. She led the profamily movement to victory over the principle legislative goal of the

radical feminists called the equal rights amendment. An articulate and successful opponent of the

radical feminist movement, she appears to debate on college campuses more than any other

conservative. She was also named one of the 100 most important women of the 20 th century by

ladies home journal. She is a lawyer and served as a member of the commission on the

Bicentennial of the U.S. constitution from 1985-91 that was appointed by President Reagan. She

has testified before more than 50 congressional and state legislative committees on

constitutional, national defense and family issues. This article is relevant to my topic because it

reveals not one but all of the adversaries of the marriage institution.

3. The Administration for Children and Families Healthy Marriage Initiative, 2002-2009.

“An Introductory Guide” January 2010. PDF.

http://www.healthymarriageinfo.org/docs/ACFGuideto09.pdf(Acessesed 30 September 2010).

This is the ACF Healthy Marriage initiative itself whose arose from two parallel related

developments. First in the early 80’s and 90’s there was an emerging movement in states and

communities to strengthen marriage and reduce divorce rates thereby improving child well-

being. The movement was fueled by a growing and large body of research that identified the

negative effects of divorce on many children and the greater likelihood of disadvantage

experienced by children raised by single parents. It talks about how initially state reform

activities focused on legislation to make divorce more difficult, but then shifted to providing

encouragement and activities designed to better prepare people for marriage. This information is

relevant because it is the definition of my topic and explains what I am arguing for.

4. Healthy Marriage Collaboration of Central Ohio. “The Healthier the Marriage, The

Stronger the Family; The Breakdown of the Family has become a crisis in America”.

http://www.healthymarriageohio.org (accessed 22, October 2010).

The Healthy Marriage Collaboration of Central Ohio is a group of passionate citizens, en

organizations and businesses that are working together to strengthen marriages and reduce

divorce in Central Ohio. This is relevant to my topic because it shows that communities can and

do care about healthy marriages and what they are doing about it.

5. Smart Marriages; Marriage Reports and Research Summaries:

http://www.Smartmarriages.com (accessed 22, October 2010).

Smartmarriages.com serves as a clearinghouse to help couples find marriage and

relationship education, information, classes, DVD’s and books. It also helps support community

marriage education, legislation and research. This information helps the public to understand that

marriage education offers an effective and affordable solution to the epidemic of divorce.

6. PR Newswire; Public Interest Services “Statewide Healthy Families Initiative Focuses on

San Bernardino County. September 22, 2010.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news_releases/statewide-healthy-families- initiative-focuses-on-san-

bernardino-county-103580269.html. (Accessed 22, October 2010).

The California Healthy Marriages Coalition along with The San Bernardino Diocese has

received a three year grant of 100,000 per year for the “Raising Kids Together” program. This is

a parent education program along with a marriage education program. This is relevant to my

topic because it teaches parent education which is vital to healthy marriages.

7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Children and

Families. “Healthy Marriage Matters”.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/about/factsheets_hm_maatters.html. (Acessed 30

September 2010).

This article explains how the Healthy Marriage Initiative Is not about trapping anyone in

an abusive or violent relationship, forcing anyone to get or stay married, running federal dating

service, withdrawing supports from or diminishing in any way either directly or indirectly the

important work of single parents. It is merely to put in effect a more stable environment for

marriages and then to prove that marriages offer more stability to the family unit.

BillCoffin@acf.hhs.gov is a specialist for marriage education. This article is relevant to my topic

because it more clearly defines what the ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative is and lays down the

guidelines for it.

8. Wade F. Horn. Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services. “Wedded to Marriage: Invest now or Pay Later?” National Review

Online http://www.old.nationalreview.com/comment/horn200508090806.asp (accessed 30,

September 2010).

This article is based on solid research indicating that what separates stable and healthy

marriages from unstable and unhealthy ones not the frequency of conflict but how couples

manage conflict. The author of this article Wade F. Horn is the Assistant Secretary for Children

and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His career spans from 1989-

93 as the commissioner for children and youth and families and the chief of the children’s bureau

of the department of health and human services. Earlier he was the director of the outpatient

services at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington. He is the founder of the

National Fatherhood Initiative and is on a mission to highlight the crucial role that fathers play in

the lives of youth and to remind us that life with father is an enriching experience. This article is

relevant to my topic because it shows conflict as a part of communication in a healthy marriage

that can be an asset if used wisely.

9. The Heritage Foundation: “Welfare Reform and the Healthy Marriage Initiative” Rector

Robert. http://www.TheHeritageFoundation.org (accessed 22, October 2010).

This article states that nearly 80% of long-term child poverty occurs

Broken or never married families. There is a growing consensus the government policy should

promote rather than discourage healthy marriage. Robert Rector is a leading national authority on

poverty with the U.S. welfare system and immigration and is a heritage foundation senior

research fellow. He was dubbed the “Intellectual Godfather” of welfare reform by National

Review editor Rich Lowry. Rector concentrates on a range of issues relating to welfare reform,

family breakdown and Americas various social ills. This article is relevant to my topic because it

supports the idea of a “Healthy Marriage Initiative” and of the government intervention that it

implies.

10. New Legislation helps Minnesotans reconcile Marriage

lifegemsformarriage.com/2010/S/24 (accessed 15, October 2010).

This article is about a bill that was just passed (May 21, 2010) in Minnesota that will

provide an off ramp for the divorce superhighway. This new legislation establishes the “Couples

on the Brink” project to help families on the brink of divorce reconcile. This article is relevant to

my topic because it shows how state legislations have been influenced by the “Healthy Marriage

Initiative”.

11. “Before You tie the Knot” The Center for Child Welfare developed by The University of

Florida Extension http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY044 (accessed 15, October 2010).

This article is another resource through the Center for Child Welfare developed by the

University of Florida extension. It offers online lessons including: Can we Talk; Improving

couples Communication, Couples Considering Parenthood, The Blended Family, Your Money

Matters and Conflict Management and Resolution; Can we Agree? This resource is relevant to

my topic because it shows how State Universities are getting on board with this Healthy

Marriage Initiative influence by offering free online classes to the community on this topic.

12. Cott, Nancy. “Public Vows: A History of Marriage and The Nation”.2002 Harvard

University Press. Cambridge, MA.

This book has a good history of marriage across the world. It also points out how early

Americans viewed marriage in different cultures. It poses marriage as a republican ideal and how

both domestic and Political government are likely closely linked. It also talks about how “The

Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy” by William Paley became the most widely read

college text and touted the private happiness and social benefits of monogamous marriage as

well as how this wave of thinking influenced jurist James Wilson in the 1790’s and was adopted

by important writers of legal treatises such as chancellor James Kent and U.S Supreme Court

Justice Joseph Story. This then shaped the thinking of the bar and permeated American political

and legal traditions. Nancy Cott is one of the founders of the field of U.S. Women’s history. She

was motivated to become a historian because of involvement in the women’s movement.

Feminism in combination with the new social history movement encouraged her to study

women’s lives in the United States.

<a.ref=http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/4572/cott—Nancy-F-1945html”>Cott, Nancy

F. (1945)-U.S.Social, Intellectual, andWomen’sHistory</a> This book is relevant to my topic

because I read it first to get a history of marriage in America and how it has changed and how the

decline of the marriage institution could be linked to the decline to the political institution in the

U.S. Thereby explaining the need for Government endorsed “Healthy Marriage Initiative”.

13. http://law.jrank.org/pages/7094/ Gay-Lesbian-Rights-SAME-SEX-MARRIAGE-CIVIL-

RIGHT or a Moral Wrong? (Accessed 23, October 2010).

This article talks about how since the birth of the U.S. Gay and Lesbian rights movement

in the late 1960’s, members of the movement have sought to attain CIVIL rights already granted

to racial and ethnic minorities. These attempts at legal change have had some success, yet the

fundamental issue for gay-lesbian couples of same sex marriage has found strong resistance even

for the supporters of gay rights. This reference is from the American Law and Legal Library.

This article is relevant to my topic because it shows that I know about the history of the Gay-

Lesbian movement and that even some gays do not approve of same sex marriage.

14. http://Sarasotapersonalinjurylawyer.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/married-versus-

cohabitating-couples. (Accessed 23, October 2010).

This article show how the “Common Law Marriage” or “Cohabitation” as an alternative

to marriage does not provide the same legal benefits as marriage. It also shows that until 2002; if

the father of a child in a cohabitating relationship left; he had no legal rights to that child. This

reference is from a webpage ad for personal injury lawyers in Sarasota, Venice, Bradenton and

Tampa FL. This article is relevant to my topic because it shows how marriage is a safer

alternative to cohabitation.

15. Jaworski, R.A., P.C. Forty Years of No-Fault Divorce Faces Scrutiny. New York. May 4,

2010. http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=18784 (accessed 23, November 2010).

This article talks about how before the no fault divorce became common, one spouse had

to allege a particular reason for the divorce;(even if both spouses wanted it); such as adultery or

cruelty. This led to couples lying to get a divorce which is perjury. That is why President Ronald

Reagan put the no fault divorce into effect. This article talks about how only New York and

Massachusetts still practice fault divorce. It talks about how currently some states such as

Michigan are attempting to remove the no fault divorce from the options available for couples

with children or those in which one spouse does not consent to the divorce. It also defines the

“Covenant Marriage”: which is a legal union of husband and wife that requires premarital

counseling, marital counseling if problems occur, and limited grounds for divorce. Author

Rudolph A. Jaworski is an attorney in Danvers, Massachusetts who practices family law. He won

“The Best Lawyers in America Award” in 2007-08 and is a member of The American Academy

of Matrimonial Lawyers Massachusetts Chapter as well as its current president.

http://www.rjaworski.com/Bio?Rudolph.Jaworski.asp.

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