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Still waiting for Mister Right? Asymmetric information, abortion laws and the timing of marriage

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  • Simon W. Bowmaker
  • Patrick M. Emerson

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that more liberal abortion laws should lead to a decrease in marriage rates among young women as ‘shotgun weddings’ are no longer necessary. Empirical evidence from the United States lends support to that hypothesis. This article presents an alternative theory of abortion access and marriage based on the cost of search which suggests that more liberal abortion laws may actually promote young marriage. An empirical examination of marriage data from Eastern Europe shows that countries that liberalized their abortion laws saw an increase in marriage rates among nonteenage women.

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  • Simon W. Bowmaker & Patrick M. Emerson, 2013. "Still waiting for Mister Right? Asymmetric information, abortion laws and the timing of marriage," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(22), pages 3151-3169, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:45:y:2013:i:22:p:3151-3169
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2012.699188
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    1. Phillip B. Levine, 2001. "The Sexual Activity and Birth-Control Use of American Teenagers," NBER Chapters, in: Risky Behavior among Youths: An Economic Analysis, pages 167-218, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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