Final answer:
Liberalization of divorce laws in the 1960s and '70s made divorce more accessible, increasing the power of both spouses to file for divorce. This change, along with societal shifts like women's increasing workforce participation, led to a rise in divorce rates, though recent trends show a decline due to factors like later marriages and higher education levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The change in divorce laws, which allowed either spouse to file for divorce, effectively increased the power of both partners in a marriage. Historically, it was challenging and often prohibitively expensive for individuals, especially women, to initiate divorce, as doing so required legal representation and an understanding of complex divorce laws. With the liberalization of divorce laws and societal shifts like women entering the workforce, divorce became more accessible and subsequently increased in frequency. However, recent declines in divorce rates have been attributed to couples marrying at an older age and having higher levels of education, both of which are associated with more stable marriages.