The Social and Economic Consequences of a Ban on Abortion Patti Lee 2007

Introduction Landmark Supreme Court Cases Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Roe v. Wade (1973) Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) Presidential Administrations on the issue Reagan Bush 41 Clinton Bush 43 Implications of a ban on abortion Economic Social

Landmark Supreme Court Cases Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Roe v. Wade (1973) Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Landmark case in privacy 1961-National Council of Churches of Christ The Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut Fourteenth Amendment “Case or controversy” “an uncommonly silly law”

Roe v. Wade ( 1973 ) Norma L. McCorvey Could not have abortion under Texas law Abortion deemed as a fundamental right

Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) Questionable preamble No public hospital or public hospital worker was to take part in an abortion nor were public hospitals allowed to expend funds on abortions

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) Urged Court to overturn Roe V. Wade (1973). Missouri’s provisions Informed consent Spousal notification Parental consent 24 hour waiting period Imposition of reporting requirements

Presidential Administrations on the Issue

Reagan Administration While governor of California, signed the California Abortion Reform Act Made over 300 appointments, most all of them anti-abortion Approved anti-abortion legislation Sent personal messages to the National Right to Life Committee as well as ministers

George H. W. Bush Administration Supported a woman’s right to an abortion as a Texas congressman Changed position during the 1988 election to gain support of the Christian Right Pushed for denial of funding for abortions

Clinton Administration lifted the gag rule on Title X fund recipients influenced Congress to alter the language of the Hyde Amendment to include funding for “wrongful pregnancies” resulting from rape and incest allowed abortions on American military bases Two Supreme Court Justices appointed supported Roe

George W. Bush Administration Has supported ban of “partial-birth” abortions Reduced Access to family planning Reinstates gag rule on international family planning assistance Funds abstinence-only education in public schools Packs the courts to overturn Roe

Economic Consequences

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Four eligibility requirements: categorical residential Income nutrition risk Statistics demographics of participants Annual cost

Social Consequences

Are Abortions affecting crime rates? Pre-Legalized Abortion Little access or affordability No optimal time for child-bearing Post-Legalization Drastic drops in crime beginning in 1991 Healthier children born—both mentally and physically Other Theories aging of the population better policing strategies heightened gun control laws increased capital punishment

The Justification is Simple Unwanted children are at a greater risk for crime, and legalized abortion leads to a reduction in the number of unwanted births. Legalized abortions in the United States can account for about half of the decline between 1991 and 1997.

Further Reading Levitt, Steven D. and Dubner, Stephen J. (2005). Freakonomics Hull, N.E.H. and Peter Charles Hoffer. (2001). Roe v. Wade: The Abortion Rights Controversy in American History Goetz, Christopher and Christopher Foote. (2005). “Oops-onomics.” The Economist.