The Solution
The Success Sequence
Three steps. 97% success rate.
Every Arizona kid deserves to know this.
Social scientists at the Brookings Institution discovered a straightforward pathway that virtually guarantees a young person will avoid poverty and reach the middle class. It is called the Success Sequence, and it consists of three steps: complete high school, secure full-time work, and marry before having children. 97% of young adults who follow these steps avoid poverty. 86% of Millennials who completed them reached the middle class. This is not ideology. It is data.
Step 1
Graduate High School
Education is the foundation. A high school diploma opens the door to full-time work and economic stability.
Step 2
Work Full-Time
Steady employment builds financial security, personal discipline, and the economic foundation for a thriving family.
Step 3
Marry Before Having Children
Sequencing marriage before parenthood dramatically increases the odds of financial stability, emotional well-being, and family durability.
Result
97% of young adults who follow this sequence avoid poverty. These benefits extend across race, income, and geography.
Five Policy Priorities
1. Success Sequence Education
Finish high school. Work full-time. Marry before having children. Research shows that 97% of young adults who follow these three achievable steps avoid poverty — and they're significantly happier, too. Arizona's students deserve to know the most powerful pathway to the Arizona Dream.
2. Lessen Burdens on Marriage and Family Formation
Marriage is one of the strongest predictors of well-being ever documented — yet current policies can inadvertently penalize Arizona couples for choosing to commit. Removing those barriers means more families formed, more children thriving, and stronger communities across the state.
3. Public Marriage and Family Campaign
Culture shapes choices, and choices shape families. A statewide effort to share the research-backed truth about the benefits of marriage and family can shift the conversation — and the trajectory — for a generation of Arizonans.
4. Premarital and Relationship Education
Strong marriages don't happen by accident. When couples invest in their relationship before and after the wedding — through education, mentoring, and community support — marriages last longer and families grow stronger.
5. Protect Children from Predatory Technology
Arizona's children face digital threats their parents never imagined. Safeguarding childhood means ensuring the platforms, apps, and AI systems our kids encounter are designed for their well-being — not just for engagement and profit.