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Republican Schoolmaster: The U.S. Supreme Court, Public Opinion, and Abortion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Charles H. Franklin  and
Liane C. Kosaki
Charles H. Franklin
Affiliation:
Washington University
Liane C. Kosaki
Affiliation:
Washington University
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Abstract

The United States Supreme Court has a historical role as a “republican schoolmaster,” inculcating virtues in the citizenry. The role as teacher to the republic also serves the interests of the Court. As the “weakest branch,” the Supreme Court needs public support if its decisions are to be effective. We investigate the Court's ability to win popular support for its rulings, specifically in the case of Roe v. Wade. The analysis shows that the Court's decision did affect public attitudes but not as previous work would predict. While support for abortions to protect health increased as a result of the Court's decision, the public became more polarized over “discretionary” abortions. The puzzle is what process can account for these disparate reactions. We develop a theory resting on interpersonal influences to explain these results, arguing that the social interpretation of events drives the differing outcomes. This theory is then tested against a purely psychological alternative. The closing discussion considers how these results can be extended to the general problem of public decisions and popular responses, including presidential actions and the influence of the media.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 83 , Issue 3 , September 1989 , pp. 751 - 771
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1989

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