RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Is There a Male Breadwinner Norm? The Hazards of Inferring Preferences from Marriage Market Outcomes JF Journal of Human Resources JO J Hum Resour FD University of Wisconsin Press SP 0320-10803R1 DO 10.3368/jhr.58.2.0320-10803R1 A1 Binder, Ariel J. A1 Lam, David YR 2020 UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2020/09/01/jhr.58.2.0320-10803R1.abstract AB This paper argues that distributions of spousal earnings gaps provide no identifying information for the male breadwinner norm, nor such a norm’s consequences for gender inequality. First, we show that simple marital matching models—without norm-related assumptions—closely replicate U.S. distributions of wife-husband earnings gaps. Second, we show that the discontinuity in this distribution as wives start to out-earn husbands reflects not breadwinner norms, but rather a point mass of equal-earning couples. We conclude by arguing that the point mass may also threaten other tests of the male breadwinner hypothesis, and proposing several robustness checks that future research should utilize.