Are Today's Laws Encouraging Or Discouraging Marriage?

Do our tax laws give financial breaks and incentives for married couples or do our tax laws put married couples in higher tax bracket?  If you have social security benefits from a deceased spouse, are you penalized for re-marrying by having those financial benefits taken away? When couples with children go through financial hardship, would the woman stand a greater chance to receive government assistance if she separated from her husband? Candidates in the upcoming election discuss laws that discourage marriage and weaken the family structure and how their candidacy addresses laws that could build a better financial foundation for married couples.