Marriage and divorce have typically been viewed asthe province of state government. It is state law thatdetermines the conditions of entry into and exit out of marriage, and establishes the legal obligations and rights of spouses toward one another. State and local court decisions interpret and help enforce these laws. Over the past century, changes in state law have transformed marriage in many important ways so that it has become more private and egalitarian. Yet despite these changes, marriage has become a more fragile institution. Thus, most of the attention of those who aim to shore up marriage through theso-called “”marriage movement”” has focused on proposing reforms at the state level designed to reduce the divorce rate and encourage premarital education and counseling.