Graduation Term
2024
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Department of Economics: Applied Economics
Committee Chair
Timothy Harris
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of being born outside of marriage (BOOM) on the future outcomes of individuals. I use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) individual-level data to follow individuals from birth to age 30 and analyze the effect of being born outside of marriage on future marital status, education level, and poverty status. I find statistically significant impacts of BOOM on future outcomes, though additional childhood controls lessen the effect. I then use arguably exogenous variation from the marital status of an individual’s grandmother at the time of their mother’s birth to instrument for external factors that may affect non-marital births. I find relatively weak evidence of intergenerational transmission of BOOM status as a mother's BOOM status increases the likelihood of their child being BOOM by 7.4 percentage points. Still, the results should be interpreted with caution.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Keithley, Kathryn Dawn, "Outcomes for Individuals Born outside of Marriage" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 1920.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2024.20240618063949532923.999958