Nancy Cott, a history professor at Harvard University, writes in her book Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation that the legal institution of marriage defines “the realm of cognitive possibility for individuals.” Extending legal rights beyond a monogamous, conjugal relationship could make it easier for people to imagine finding companionship in other types of relationships. This expansion of possibilities could especially benefit Americans who aren’t married or living with a romantic partner and who constitute nearly 40 percent of Americans ages twenty-five to fifty-four.
