AFDC and other Great Society programs are better candidates for a culprit if you're looking for a reason for increased out-of-wedlock births based on the timing

AFDC and other Great Society programs are better candidates for a culprit if you're looking for a reason for increased out-of-wedlock births based on the timing. When you set up incentives such that a woman loses money by marrying a guy with a small or nonexistent income, you're going to see fewer marriages in the lowest income bracket. It's rational in the short term, but the long term effects are corrosive.