The Politics of Parenthood: Causes and Consequences of the Politicization and Polarization of the American Family

Chapter 1: Parenthood Is Political

1 1 Parenthood Is Political This book is an exploration into how parenthood and the family have become politicized in American politics. Despite the centrality of raising children in the lives of many voters, and despite the emergence and prominence of topics concerning parents and the family within the national political debate, parenthood has not been a central focus in political science scholarship. There are very few acts more personal and intense in life than raising children. In this book we show how this very personal and intense act of raising a family is a politically defining experience and has come front and center into the political debate. The central argument of this book is that parenthood is political. The transition to parenthood introduces dramatic and long-term changes into the lives of adults. Becoming a parent and raising children are significant adult socialization experiences, which, like getting married, entering the workforce, or growing older, hold the potential to shape political priorities, attitudes, and behavior. Over the last half century, the social and political environment surrounding America’s families has changed in ways that have intensified the parenting experience and the importance of the family in national political debates. The structure of the American family changed dramatically since the 1950s. Traditional nuclear families, in which fathers take on the role of economic provider while mothers care for the home and the children, are no longer the dominant family structure . The number of single-parent families has increased, and they now represent about one-third of all households with children. 2 The Politics of Parenthood Additionally, parents of both sexes are working longer hours to support their families and cover the costs associated with raising children. This is especially true for mothers, the majority of whom, whether unmarried or married, are now seeking to balance work outside the home with their continued roles as the primary caregivers for their children. Despite these increased work hours and the demands of contemporary life, surveys reveal that parents place high value on their parental roles and identities, and detailed time diaries document that parents are spending as much and in many cases more time with their children than their parents and grandparents did (Bianchi, Robinson, and Milkie 2006). Given these changes, it is not surprising to find that parents today report higher levels of stress than other groups in society (Bianchi, Robinson, and Milkie 2006). In response to these changes in the American family, there has been a dramatic politicization of parenthood by the major parties and the news media. As we document in this book, in the 1950s and 1960s, when the traditional father-breadwinner, motherhomemaker family was the norm, the topics of family and raising children were not part of mainstream political discourse. Presidents and presidential candidates did not discuss the importance of the family as an institution in American society in their public addresses, nor did they make explicit appeals to parents. Over the last four decades there has been a remarkable change in the content and tone of American politics and campaigns as they relate to parenthood and the family. Starting in the 1980s and increasing dramatically across the 1990s, the political parties and their presidential candidates have tried to outdo one another in appealing directly to parents and in portraying themselves as the true champions of the American family. In his 1988 State of the Union address, Republican president Ronald Reagan pledged that his administration would “make certain that the family is always at the center of the public policy process.” The Democrats soon followed. In his 1996 State of the Union address, President Bill Clinton stated that “Family is the foundation of American life. If we have stronger families, we will have a stronger America.” This emphasis on parenthood and the family has continued into the twenty-first century. During the buildup to the 2004 presi- 3 Parenthood Is Political dential election, both major party candidates and their wives made time to sit down with popular daytime television talk show hosts to talk about raising families (Sweet 2004a). Both parties also spoke explicitly to the concerns of “Security Moms” worried about the safety of their families, and “NASCAR Dads” anxious about the economic and moral health of the nation. In 2008, parents were, once again, given a high-profile role in the presidential campaign. The Republican ticket frequently drew on vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s...