Roe v Wade 40 years later
Despite increased efforts by many conservative groups to abolish a woman’s right to choose, 63% of Americans oppose overturning the controversial Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade, which legalized abortions (at least in the first trimester) Jan. 22, 1973.
The poll,* conducted by the Pew Research Center also found that 53% of the public say that “abortion is not that important an issue compared to others such as gun control and the national debt.”
That opinion was echoed in separate surveys conducted by the NARAL Pro-Choice America, a national abortions rights group, which has found that a steady majority of the US public feels that women have the right to determine their own affairs without outside interference.
In addition, Pew’s director Michael Dimock noted that opinions have changed very little from surveys conducted in 2003 and 1992.
“They really haven’t changed a lot over the years, which is interesting because a lot of other social issues, most notably gay marriage, have altered dramatically, especially along generational lines. However, the abortion issue shows only modest age-related differences.”
The Pew Research Center found that Baby Boomers aged 54-60 were the most likely to favor upholding Roe v Wade, followed by 18-29 year olds. Those more inclined to see it overturned seemed to be in the 65 and older age range.
*The poll was based on interviews with a national sampling of over 1,502 adults over the age of 18, and with a margin of error of give or take 2.9%.
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