New Book Examines Problems Facing Modern Women; Identifies Needed Changes
WASHINGTON, D.C. (MAY 3, 2006) – The most important economic and social change in the past half-century has been the movement of women into the labor market. Yet our outdated public policies have completely ignored the change. That's the thesis of the new book Leaving Women Behind: Modern Families, Outdated Laws, which was unveiled at a public forum hosted by the Cato Institute today.
According to the new book Leaving Women Behind: Modern Families, Outdated Laws , our major economic institutions — including tax law, labor law, and employee benefits law, as well as Social Security, and retirement policies — reward families with full-time worker and a stay-at-home spouse and by comparison punish every other arrangement.
"These institutions are still designed from top-to-bottom for an Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle," said Kimberley Strassel, editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal and co-author of the book.
The book profiles real-life examples of how our nation's laws are making the lives of modern families more difficult than they need to be. The authors then detail a series of reforms needed to bring our institutions in sync with the way people are living their lives in the 21 st Century.
Leaving Women Behind: Modern Families, Outdated Laws was co-authored by Kimberley Strassel, editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal; John C. Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA); and Celeste Colgan, an NCPA senior fellow. It is published by Rowman & Littlefield in cooperation with the Manhattan Institute and will be available at booksellers, including Amazon.com.