A key member of President Obama’s Administration, Professor Cass Sunstein, has advocated removing State support for marriage. Sunstein argues that marriage is essentially, a private matter.

In a book co-written with economist Richard Thaler, Professor Sunstein, a legal academic, argues that marriage licensing is unnecessary, pointing out people stay committed to organizations like country clubs and homeowner associations without any government help. 

“Under our proposal, the word marriage would no longer appear in any laws, and marriage licenses would no longer be offered or recognized by any level of government,” wrote Sunstein and co-author Richard Thaler in their 2008 book, “Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth and happiness.”