New book shows economic downside of single parenting

• A top scholar of the economics of family structure, Kearney argues that the public discussion of these issues — especially in elite circles — tends to avoid this truth out of a desire to avoid stigmatizing single parents.
• In particular, she finds that single-parent households tend to contribute to economic inequality in light of the challenges of supporting a household on one income.

What they're saying: "Given that children from two-parent homes are, in general, better situated to do well in school, graduate high school and college, and have higher earnings as adults, we should be concerned that 25 percent of U.S. kids live with only one parent," Kearney tells Axios.

• "Strengthening families and increasing the share of U.S. kids growing up in healthy, stable two-parent homes would mean that more kids would be better positioned to thrive and ultimately to make positive contributions to the workplace and society," she adds.