Marriage and the modern world.

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I was reading this news article this morning, it basically says the UK's government (Labour) isn't doing enough to encourage marriage and commitment from fathers, then the conservatives pipe up saying Labour need to look into the reasons why people aren't getting married anymore: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20080519/tuk-dads-treated-like-optional-extras-6323e80.html The bit that sticks out to me is the last bit by the head of family and Education: "It's not a question of saying you should get married because it's better, it's a question of looking at why people aren't getting married if they want to. In the past people had to marry, today people want to." The article also makes the point that poverty prevents people getting married because couples don't own houses together and then the parents separate and child poverty is worse for single parent households. I actually know very few couples with children who stay together these days and even those who do don't tend to be married they just live together. There's no real need to be married these days as children from un-married couples aren't stigmatised anymore and there's no financial gain to be had from it. They have even bought in laws for co-habiting couples regarding how property is split if they break up, so even if you own property together you don't have to get married to ensure you will get your half if you break up. So the only reason to be married nowadays is because you want to marry your partner out of love it seems, and in England fewer people are feeling that way. I know from reading my friends discussions many of my American friends here are married even the young ones, is it still common to get married in America at a young age? and do you do it purely for love or is it for financial security you do it too? Or is it because you have children together or for religious reasons? And if you have kids but aren't married to their father or mother is it just because you don't feel you have to be to show commitment is this day and age, or because you can't afford it?