Maggie Gallagher

In the following viewpoint, Maggie Gallagher contends that pregnant teenagers’ failure to marry—not teen pregnancy itself—is a serious problem. Gallagher argues that all young unwed mothers—not just teens—suffer from more depression and poverty than their married counterparts. She asserts that when young women decide to raise children without the financial benefits that marriage confers, they are merely responding to American society’s disapproval of early marriage. Gallagher is an affiliate scholar at the Institute for American Values, a private, nonpartisan organization that promotes marriage and family-oriented values.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In what ways are unwed teenage mothers and unwed mothers in their early twenties similar, as stated by Gallagher"
2. According to the author, what do many...