More on Marriage and Financial (Dis)Incentives...

And in a similar vein to our previous post, Slate has an interesting article that provides an argument that polygamy can benefit women economically. (Although Tim Harford kinda misses the whole demeaning aspect of the men-buy-women-sell dowry thing).

Still, Harford does rightfully point out: "When men are taken out of the marriage market by war or by prison, women suffer. The reverse is probably true, too: When women are taken from the marriage market, men suffer. In China, the policy of one-child families coupled with selective abortion of girls has produced "surplus" males. Such men are called "bare branches," and China could have 30 million of them by 2020. Perhaps polyandry—women with multiple husbands—would be the logical response to the situation in China."

[thanks again, Sean Philpott!]