Regardless of their views about the legality of abortion, most Americans think that having an abortion is a moral issue. By contrast, the public is much less likely to see other issues involving human embryos – such as stem cell research or in vitro fertilization – as a matter of […] Read more »
States Are Diverging on Polarizing Social Issues
The inclusive comments on homosexuality from Pope Francis this week may crystallize a growing sense that the American politics of abortion and gay rights are moving in opposite directions. Across the U.S., the two issues’ trajectory has strikingly diverged. Gay marriage has rapidly advanced through Democratic-leaning terrain. Meanwhile, in conservative […] Read more »
Majority Supports Legal Abortion, But Details Indicate Ambivalence
Most Americans continue to support legal abortion, as many oppose making it more difficult for abortion clinics to operate and two-thirds say the U.S. Constitution should trump state abortion laws. But views on legal time limits for abortions mark underlying ambivalence on the issue. [cont.] Damla Ergun, ABC News Read more »
Widening Regional Divide over Abortion Laws
While the balance of opinion toward abortion nationwide has remained largely steady over the past 20 years, there are widening disparities in public attitudes on the issue across different regions of the country. Opposition to legal abortion is highest in parts of the South – including Texas, which recently passed […] Read more »
In Public Opinion on Abortion, Few Absolutes
… After writing about abortion and public opinion in Sunday’s Times – arguing that the issue does not benefit Democrats as much as other high-profile subjects, like immigration, guns, taxes and same-sex marriage – I wanted to dig more deeply into the polls and their trend lines. For all the […] Read more »
Abortion bill highlights Democrats’ uphill fight in Texas
The politically charged battle over whether to restrict abortions in Texas ended late Friday night when the state Senate passed legislation and sent it on to Gov. Rick Perry (R) for his signature. In the end, the fight underscored the challenges Democrats face as they look to break the Republicans’ […] Read more »