Abstract
During the 1990s, expenditures on Child Support Enforcement increased dramatically, as did the amount of money collected in these efforts. This paper examines whether there is a link between the Child Support Enforcement program and the divorce behavior of married couples with children. Previous work, notably that of Nixon (1997), found a significant negative effect of Child Support Enforcement policy on the probability of divorce. However, using a panel of state divorce rates and policy variables, I find that, contrary to this previous study, Child Support Enforcement policy has no significant impact on divorce rates.
- Received October 2001.
- Accepted July 2002.
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