Effects of Public Opinion on Abortion Policies and Use in the American States

Abstract

Ample evidence exists to link public opinion and public policy in regard to health issues and abortion in the US. In order to determine the impact of policies (which reflect public preferences) on citizen behavior research was undertaken to test the following hypotheses: 1) in the presence of public support for abortion policy-makers will impose fewer restrictions; 2) in the presence of public support for abortion and fewer restrictions access will be greater; 3) in the presence of public support fewer restrictions and improved access more abortions will occur; and 4) the impact of public preferences on policies will retain its significance when controls are applied to socioeconomic (and metropolitan) and religious variables. Data were analyzed from a 1993 abortion survey with the ratio of abortions/1000 live births in each state in 1992 serving as the dependent variable. State policies were ranked on a nine-point scale of restrictiveness. Public opinion was measured using 1988 and 1990 responses to National Election Series Senate Panel Studies. Access was measured according to the percentage of counties in a state with abortion providers in 1992. Regression analysis of the data resulted in qualified support of all four of the hypotheses. It was found that religious fundamentalism influences abortion attitudes whereas states with large Catholic populations show an influence of the church on public policy. Further research is warranted into the relationship which exists among public preferences public policy and corresponding public behavior.