American women’s right to abortion is now in the spotlight again, as the Senate is deciding whether to confirm Amy Barrett as a member of the US Supreme Court, and she is a supporter of the abolition of this right. Therefore, Gallup considered it necessary to ask more than a thousand American adults how they feel about this problem today.
The poll showed that 79% of respondents believe that abortion in the United States should be legal, either in all cases (29%), or in some (50%). Among those advocating abortion with restrictions, 14% said it should be legal in most cases, 35% under some circumstances, and 1% did not specify conditions. Thus, a total of 43% of American adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. But 20% said that abortion should be recognized as completely illegal. The poll also found that two-thirds of respondents supported the historic 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide, in line with Gallup’s general support in American society. As usual, opinions about abortion were divided along party lines: 59% of Republicans and half of independents support at least some restrictions on abortion, while 49% of Democrats believe that this procedure should be accessible under all conditions. The estimates among women (78%) and men (79%) almost coincided: abortion should be either completely legal or legal, but with some restrictions. Finally, the most advocated for fully legalized abortion in all cases was young Americans aged 18-29. Interestingly, some states have already begun to take steps to protect and expand women’s access to reproductive health care, including abortion, in case the Supreme Court does overturn its 1973 ruling. Thus, the Governor of New Jersey Democrat Phil Murphy announced that in such a situation, state legislators will pass an appropriate bill protecting the rights of women. “As the right to choose women is under attack at the federal level, we will support and defend it here in New Jersey,” Murphy said in a statement.