A Potential Case of Social Bankruptcy: States' AFDC Payments and Their Teen Birthrates (ICPSR 1134)

Version Date: Jan 20, 1998

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Principal Investigator(s):
Shirley L. Zimmerman, University of Minnesota; Constance Gager, University of Minnesota

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR01134.v1

Version V1

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Summary

These findings were based on a pooled time series analysis that covers a 30-year period at five different time-points: 1960, 1970, 1980, 1985, and 1990. This research examines the relationship between states' Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) payments and teen birthrates. Drawing on rational choice theories, the investigators expected the effects of states' AFDC payments on their teen birthrates to be positive, taking unemployment rates, racial composition, and poverty rates into account. The effects of states' AFDC payments were significant in a negative direction in Model 1, a random effects model. They also were significant in a negative direction in Model 2 when the effects of year were controlled for. However, when the effects of year and state in Model 3 were controlled for, they were not significant. The findings do not support assumptions regarding the incentive effects of welfare that underlie rational choice theories in states where teen birthrates are higher. If anything, teen birthrates are higher in states where AFDC payments are lower. Implications for policy and further research are discussed in relation to the positive effects of states' poverty and population change rates on the state teen birthrate problem.

Citation

Zimmerman, Shirley L., and Gager, Constance. A Potential Case of Social Bankruptcy:  States’ AFDC Payments and Their Teen Birthrates. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1998-01-20. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR01134.v1

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Funding

University of Minnesota. Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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Data Collection Notes

  1. (1) The files submitted are teen2502.por, teencor2.sps, and teenreg5.sps, all in binary mode. (2) These data are part of ICPSR's Publication-Related Archive and are distributed exactly as they arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.

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Original Release Date

1998-01-20

Version History

2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:

  • Zimmerman, Shirley L., and Constance Gager. A Potential Case of Social Bankruptcy: States' AFDC Payments and Their Teen Birthrates. ICPSR01134-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1998-01-20. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR01134.v1

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Notes

  • These data are flagged as replication datasets and are distributed exactly as they arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.

  • The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.