(CNN) -- Is anyone surprised that more than half of births to American women under 30 now occur outside of marriage? Or that marriage is losing ground in Middle America? What's the big deal? After all, some Americans believe that "marriage is just a piece of paper," while others think that fathers are no longer essential. Despite these worrisome statistics and views, the institution of marriage is not disappearing in American life. Marriage is certainly not in trouble for the privileged and powerful. Forget Kim Kardashian, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Tiger Woods. In spite of the high-profile marital misbehavior of a few politicians, professional athletes and Hollywood starlets, marriage is actually growing stronger, in many respects, among educated and affluent Americans.
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More American women under 30 are having kids outside of marriage, research shows
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W. Bradford Wilcox: Marriage grows stronger among educated but less so among the poor
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Wilcox: Children and men often pay a big price when they are not in a married home
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He says policymakers should take actions to strengthen the institution of marriage
For @placeholder without a college degree, divorce remains high, marital quality is falling, and nonmarital childbearing is surging.