Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T02:34:26.608Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Analyzing the Effect of Anti-Abortion U.S. State Legislation in the Post-Casey Era

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Michael J. New*
Affiliation:
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA
*
Michael J. New, University of Alabama, Department of Political Science, Box 870213, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Much of the academic literature that analyzes U.S. state-level restrictions on abortion focuses on parental involvement laws and the extent to which abortion is publicly funded through Medicaid. However, one shortcoming common to all of these studies is that they fail to analyze informed consent laws and other types of anti-abortion legislation that received constitutional protection through the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992). In this study, a series of regressions on a comprehensive time series cross-sectional data set provides evidence that several types of state-level anti-abortion legislation result in statistically significant declines in both the abortion rate and the abortion ratio. Furthermore, a series of natural experiments provide further evidence that abortion restrictions are correlated with reductions in the incidence of abortion.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Americans United for Life. 2007. Defending Life 2007. Chicago, IL: Americans United for Life.Google Scholar
Bazelton, Emily. 2010. “The New Abortion Providers.” The New York Times, 18 July, MM30.Google Scholar
Beal v. Doe. 1977. 432 U.S. 438.Google Scholar
Belotti v. Baird. 1979. 443 U.S. 622.Google Scholar
Blank, Rebecca, George, Christine, and London, Rebecca. 1996. “State Abortion Rates: The Impact of Policies Providers, Politics, Demographics, and Economic Environment.” Journal of Health Economics 15:513–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blum, Robert, Resnick, Michael, and Stark, Trisha. 1987. “The Impact of a Parental Notification Law on Adolescent Abortion Decision Making.” American Journal of Public Health 77:619–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brener, N., Lowrey, R., Kann, L., Kolbe, L., Lehnherr, J., Janssen, R., and Jaffe, H.. 2002. “Trends in Sexual Risk Behaviors among High School Students—United States 1991–2001.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 51:856–59.Google Scholar
Carsey, Thomas. 2000. Campaign Dynamics. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cartoof, Virginia, and Klerman, Lorraine. 1986. “Parental Consent for Abortion: Impact of the Massachusetts Law.” American Journal for Public Health 76:397400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, Elizabeth, Jelen, Ted, and Wilcox, Clyde. 1992. Between Two Absolutes: Public Opinion and the Politics of Abortion. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Cook, Phillip J., Parnell, Alan, Moore, Michael, and Pagnini, Deanna. 1999. “The Effects of Short Term Variation in Abortion Funding on Pregnancy Outcomes.” Journal of Health Economics 18:241–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Doan, Alesha. 2007. Opposition and Intimidation: The Abortion Wars and Strategies of Political Harassment. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doe v. Bolton. 1973. 410 U.S. 179.Google Scholar
Donovan, Patricia. 1983. “Judging Teenagers: How Minors Fare When They Seek Court Authorized Abortions.” Family Planning Perspectives 15:259–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elam-Evans, Laurie D., Strauss, Lilo T., Herndon, Joy, Parker, Wilda Y., Bowens, Sonya V., Zane, Suzanne, and Berg, Cynthia J.. 2003. “Abortion Surveillance 2000.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 52:132.Google ScholarPubMed
Ellertson, Charlotte. 1997. “Mandatory Parental Involvement in Minors' Abortions: Effects of the Laws in Minnesota, Missouri, and Indiana.” American Journal of Public Health 87:1367–374.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finer, Lawrence B., Frohwirth, Lori, Dauphinee, Lindsay, Singh, Susheela, and Moore, Ann. 2005. “Reasons Why U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 37:110–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gamble, Sonya B., Strauss, Lilo T., Parker, Wilda Y., Cook, Douglas A., Zane, Suzanne B., and Hamdan, Saced. 2008Abortion Surveillance 2005.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 57:132.Google ScholarPubMed
Haas-Wilson, Deborah. 1993. “The Economic Impact of State Policy Restrictions on Abortion: Parental Consent and Notification Laws and Medicaid Funding Restrictions.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 12:498511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haas-Wilson, Deborah. 1996. “The Impact of State Abortion Restrictions on Minors' Demand for Abortions.” Journal of Human Resources 31:140–58.Google ScholarPubMed
Hamilton, Brady E. 2004. “Reproduction Rates for 1990–2002 and Intrinsic Rates for 2000–2001: United States.” National Vital Statistics Reports 52:112.Google ScholarPubMed
Harris v. McRae. 1980. 448 U.S. 297.Google Scholar
Henshaw, Stanley K. 1995. “The Impact of Requirements for Parental Consent on Minor's Abortions in Mississippi.” Family Planning Perspectives 27:120–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henshaw, Stanley K., and Kost, Karen. 1992. “Parental Involvement in Minor's Abortion Decisions.” Family Planning Perspectives 24:196213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, Rachel K., Darroch, Jacqueline, and Henshaw, Stanley K.. 2002. “Patterns in the Socioeconomic Characteristics of Women Obtaining Abortions in 2000–2001.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 34:226–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, Rachel K., Zolna, Mia R. S., Henshaw, Stanley K., and Finer, Lawrence B.. 2008. “Abortion in the United States: Incidence and Access to Services, 2005.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 40:616.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joyce, Theodore, and Kaestner, Robert. 1996. “State Reproductive Policies and Adolescent Pregnancy Resolution: The Case of Parental Involvement Laws.” Journal of Health Economics 15:579607.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joyce, Theodore, Kaestner, Robert, and Colman, Silvie. 2006. “Changes in Abortions and Births and the Texas Parental Involvement Law.” New England Journal of Medicine 354:1031–038.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koonin, Lisa M., Smith, Jack C., and Ramick, Merrell. 1993. “Abortion Surveillance 1990.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 42:2957.Google ScholarPubMed
Maher v. Roe. 1977. 432 U.S. 464.Google Scholar
Matthews, Stephen, Ribar, David, and Wilhelm, Mark. 1997. “The Effect of Economic Conditions and Access to Reproductive Health Services on State Abortion Rates and Birthrates.” Family Planning Perspectives 29:5260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Medoff, Marshall. 2002. “The Determinants and Impact of State Abortion Restrictions.” American Journal of Economics and Sociology 61:481–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meier, Kenneth J., Haider-Markel, Donald, Stanislawski, Anthony, and MacFarlane, Deborah. 1996. “The Impact of State Level Restrictions on Abortion.” Demography 33:307–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merz, Jon, Jackson, Catherine, and Klerman, Jacob. 1995. “A Review of Abortion Policy: Legality, Medicaid Funding, and Parental Involvement, 1967–1994.” Women's Rights Law Reporter 17:1257.Google ScholarPubMed
National Abortion Rights Action League. (1990, 1992, 2000, 2005) Who Decides? Washington, DC: NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation.Google Scholar
New, Michael. 2007. “The Effect of Pro-Life Legislation on the Incidence of Abortion among Minors.” Catholic Social Science Review 12:185215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohsfeldt, Robert, and Gohman, Stephan. 1994. “Do Parental Involvement Laws Reduce Adolescent Abortion Rates?Contemporary Economic Policy 12:6576.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2009. “Poll: Majority Now Pro-Life.” 16 May, A–5.Google Scholar
Planned Parenthood of Missouri v. Danforth. 1976. 428 U.S. 52.Google Scholar
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. 1992. 505 U.S. 833.Google Scholar
Pritchard, Anita, and Parsons, Sharon Kay. 1999. “The Effects of State Abortion Policies on States' Abortion Rate.” State and Local Government Review 31:4352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roe v. Wade. 1973. 410 U.S. 113.Google Scholar
Rogers, James, Boruch, Robert, Storms, George, and DeMoya, Dorothy. 1991. “Impact of the Minnesota Parental Notification Law on Abortion and Birth.” American Journal of Public Health 81:294–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Santelli, John, Lindberg, Laura D., Finer, Lawrence, and Singh, Susheela. 2007. “Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use.” American Journal of Public Health 97:150–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stenberg v. Carhart. 2000. 530 U.S. 914.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torres, Aida, Forrest, Jacqueline Darroch, and Eisman, Susan. 1980. “Telling Parents: Clinic Policies and Adolescents' Use of Family Planning and Abortion Services.” Family Planning Perspectives 12:284–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
United States Census Bureau. Various years. Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, DC: United States. Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Ventura, Stephanie J., Mosher, William D., Curtin, Sally C., Abma, Joyce C., and Henshaw, Stanley. 2001Trends in Pregnancy Rates for the United States, 1976–1997: An Update.” National Vital Statistics Reports 49:110.Google Scholar
The Washington Post. 2009. “Poll: 51% Say That They Are Pro-Life.” 22 August, B-02. Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. 1989. 492 U.S. 490.Google Scholar
Wetstein, Matthew. 1996. Abortion Rates in the United States. Albany: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar