# Americans want husbands to provide, but few want them in charge

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/americans-want-husbands-to-provide-but-few-want-them-in-charge/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from August 12 to 18, 2026. Most Americans (69.8%) say a husband should do his best to provide for his wife and children, and 64.9% say he should support her career. Only 7.4% say he should hold authority over her.

About half say a husband should frequently talk about his feelings (51.0%), and 47.5% say he should do half the housework and childcare. Respondents could choose several statements; 4.5% chose working with other men to keep women in their place.

## Topline

In modern American marriage, the husband should

Americans want husbands to provide, but few want them in charge.

Respondents could select more than one option, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

- ... do his best to provide for his wife and children: 69.8%
- ...support his wife in her career: 64.9%
- ...frequently express and discuss his emotional feelings: 51.0%
- ...do half the housework and childcare, regardless whether the wife has a job: 47.5%
- ...expect to have sex at least once a week: 16.7%
- ...establish and maintain his authority over his wife: 7.4%
- None of the above: 5.0%
- ...work with other men to keep women in their place: 4.5%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-08-12 → 2026-08-18
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.2%
- Module: AOM Survey #2026-152
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/aom-2026#q-17](https://reports.verasight.io/r/aom-2026#q-17)

## Citation

AOM Omnibus, fielded August 12-18, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/aom-2026#q-17](https://reports.verasight.io/r/aom-2026#q-17)