The Role of Government in Abortion: A National Survey of Registered Voters
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Abstract
Since the Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the subject of the government’s role in abortion has been foreground in the public discourse. The Supreme Court effectively pushed the decision about abortion to the states, generating widespread debate.
Sixteen states have established new laws making abortion illegal at any point in the pregnancy or reinstating such laws that were in place before the Roe v Wade decision. On the other hand, the voters of the relatively conservative state of Kansas rejected a ballot initiative which would have removed protections for abortion from their state’s constitution.
A key question is where the American public stands on what role the government, state and/or federal should play in abortions. Standard polls that generally sought to establish public attitudes in single poll questions have produced seemingly contradictory results (to be discussed below).
Notes
Voice Of the People (VOP) is a nonpartisan organization working to re-anchor our democracy in its founding principles by giving ‘We the People’ a greater and more effective voice in government. VOP champions innovative methods and technology – notably online public consultations – that enable the American people to play a role in the policymaking process and provide policymakers with a more accurate understanding of the views of their constituents.
The Program for Public Consultation conducts policymaking simulations, which are an online process that puts citizens in the shoes of elected officials by simulating the process they go through in making policy decisions. Each simulation introduces a broader policy topic and then presents a series of modules that address a specific policy option that is currently under consideration in the current discourse.
For each module, respondents: 1) receive a short briefing on a policy issue and the option or options for addressing it; 2) evaluate arguments for and against the policy options; and 3) finally, make their recommendation for what their elected officials should do.