Project 2025 creators pitch marriage bootcamp, two-children families
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The architects of Project 2025 released a roadmap on Thursday for the American family that encourages heterosexual marriage and childbearing along with increased government intervention in such affairs.
Why it matters: The Heritage Foundation report outlines next steps for the pro-natalist movement against the backdrop of a historic low in new births.
- The report said tackling marriage in the U.S. requires a "whole-of-government" approach and pitched a government-funded marriage bootcamp.
- "A problem of this magnitude requires a culture-wide Manhattan Project that marshals America's political, social and economic capital to restore the natural family," the report said.
Driving the news: The conservative think tank encouraged couples to have an average of two children to tackle a decline in U.S. birth rates.
- "We are convinced that for our country to replace itself and flourish across generations, a great many of us must choose to marry and, as a matter of mathematics, couples must on average have at least two children," the report said.
- The report also said men and women should form families and government policies should favor cisgender, heterosexual marriage over same-sex and polyamorous relationships, cohabitation and intentionally single parenthood.
- "Fathers and mothers are not generic and interchangeable 'parents,'" the report said.
What we're watching: President Trump has been a supporter of the movement for women to have more children.
- The Heritage Foundation's report urged Congress to build on "Trump accounts" with additional deposits for newlyweds.
- The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Our thought bubble, from Axios' Emily Peck: Governments in wealthy countries have struggled over what to do about declining birth rates.
- Many have sought to develop policies to encourage more children, but none of these policies have made a big dent.
Go deeper: Project 2025 architects lay out 2026 policy vision
