Survey shows support for harder divorces

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- For 30 years, most Americans have told the General Social Survey they want divorce laws to be made "more difficult," not "easier."

The Washington Times reported that in 19 surveys between 1974 and 2002, the GSS has asked a national sample of American adults: "Should divorce in this country be easier or more difficult to obtain than it is now?" The surveys show a plurality of Americans think divorce should be made "more difficult."

In the 1970s, when no-fault divorce laws became popular, 42 percent of Americans wanted divorce to be "more difficult," compared with 32 percent who wanted it to be "easier," according to the survey.

The latest survey showed Americans even more supportive of tougher divorce laws. In 2002, 49 percent said they wanted divorce to be "more difficult," while 26 percent wanted it to be "easier."

Kirk Johnson, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation who assisted The Washington Times by providing access to the GSS data, said that according to national divorce data, divorce remains a common American experience despite having statistically fallen to 1972 levels.

In 2003, the divorce rate was 3.9 divorces per 1,000 people.