Reconsidering the Mythical Advantages of Cohabitation: Why Marriage Is More Efficient Than Cohabitation

Abstract

This Article applies Becker's Home Economics Model (where households produce and consume "home goods," such as child rearing, cleaning, and cooking) to determine which relationship -- marriage or cohabitation -- is more efficient. The Article concludes that marriage is more efficient at producing home goods than cohabitation. This Article then proposes that the welfare and tax laws should be changed to promote marriage, which is the more efficient relationship. Alternatively, at a minimum, those laws should be marriage neutral (that is, they should not promote cohabitation).

Keywords: Economics, Marriage, Cohabitation, Becker Model, Divorce, Home Goods, Taxes, Efficient, Efficiency, Welfare