Americans remain divided on abortion, but only 18% support banning abortion in all circumstances, a new Gallup poll finds. Gallup has tracked views on abortion since 1962. In the intervening decades, abortion views have not significantly shifted, though the number of Americans who favor abortion bans even for rape or when the mother’s life is in danger has steadily dropped.
How Do Americans Feel About Abortion?
Though most Americans oppose an outright ban on abortion, many favor some restrictions. Highlights of the latest survey include:
- 29% of Americans think abortion should be legal under all circumstances, compared to 18% who think it should be illegal under all circumstances.
- 50% think abortion should be legal only in some circumstances.
- Support for abortion drops during the second trimester. Sixty percent of Americans think abortion should be legal during the first trimester, but support for abortion drops to 28% during the second trimester.
State abortion laws rarely represent constituent’s feelings about abortion. Iowa abortion clinics could soon be subject to the nation’s most restrictive regulations. Numerous other states have passed restrictive and potentially unconstitutional abortion restrictions.
Other research also finds broad support for abortion. Sixty percent of Americans say they would support a federal law enshrining abortion as a fundamental right. This suggests that how people feel personally about abortion may differ from what they think the law should say.
Identity vs. Beliefs in the Abortion Debate
Abortion views are closely tied to people’s identities. The poll found an even split between people who identify as pro-choice and pro-life—48% each embracing one of the two labels. Yet large numbers of those who identify as pro-life are willing to support abortion in some circumstances. So it may be possible to make headway with this group, by showing what wholesale abortion bans do to women, and encouraging them to support candidates with a more nuanced view of abortion.
Are Women the Key to Changing Abortion Regulations?
In spite of evidence that abortion saves lives and that there is broad support for at least some form of legalized abortion, some Democratic leaders have insisted that a woman’s right to control her own body should not be central to the Democratic platform.
A shift toward more humane public policies on abortion may only be possible with more female elected officials. Women have always supported abortion in higher numbers than men—a fact that points to abortion as a way to control and punish women, not protect fetuses. Because abortion is key to autonomy and because illegal abortions kill women, women candidates may be less likely to compromise on abortion and more likely to educate voters about what abortion rights really mean for women.
A predictive data analysis by Rewire supports this claim. Analysts found that, if more women are elected, the Hyde Amendment could be overturned. The Amendment prohibits public funding for abortion services.
Fake abortion clinics known as crisis pregnancy centers routinely receive government funding. An analysis of Texas CPCs found that half receive public money.