Health

78% think abortion should be legal

by generaldecay | August 14, 2009 at 08:31 am

364 views | 4 Recommendations | 4 comments

You may remember that back in May, Gallup released a poll showing that for the first time, a majority of Americans in their survey described themselves as "pro-life" rather than "pro-choice." The results represented a fairly dramatic flip in abortion numbers--51 to 42, when just six months earlier the spread had been a 50 to 44 pro-choice majority.

You may or may not recall that, in May, a gallup poll revealed that the majority of Americans are pro-life. It turns out that those statistics were either a fluke, or positions are shifted. The latest poll reveals a very different picture. It seems now that pro-life/ pro-choice statistics are a lot closer than first thought:

Gallup survey finds 47% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" and 46% "pro-choice." This is less positive for the "pro-life" position than was true in a Gallup survey in May. However, both 2009 readings show more Americans labeling themselves "pro-life" than has been the case in recent years.

Indeed, if you look closely...

... a more useful indicator than the labels people choose for themselves--haven't budged. A solid 78% think abortion should be legal in some or all circumstances.

This is certainly an interesting turnaround. Either that, and more likely, the fluke argument holds some water.

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Roy C

at 09:12 on August 14th, 2009

Like me, though, third trimester abortions are not ok except in the most exceptional of circumstance.

First trimester abortions are ok, and they are the woman's call. But, as it says in Roe vs Wade, the second and third trimesters are not exclusively under the woman's aegis.

In the third trimester, given that the baby can survive outside of the womb, the state can dictate restrictions and should.

bettermakings (not verified)

at 17:16 on August 14th, 2009

let's be more specific. most people would say abortion is "OK" if the health of the mother was in danger, or in cases of rape. that is VERY different than "abortion-on-demand" paid for by tax-payers.

so would you call Brazil's abortion laws "pro-choice" or "pro-life" (it's legal in cases of rape or danger to health of the mother)?? the statistics can easily be misleading & tricky.

*i am SURE of the following: in cases of abortion for "convenience", NO taxpayer money should be spent on it, and NO medical worker should be pressured to help in the procedure. also, abortion for rape-victims should be available, as well as abortion if the health of the mother is in danger. can anyone disagree with these statements?

Rory Cripps

at 18:03 on August 14th, 2009

A very interesting post! Thank you! It's amazing how accurate various polls have been throughout recent years. Modern statistical techniques are typically right in the ball park. I think that the biggest problem, nowadays, with polls is in the way that the pollster's questions are framed.

generaldecay

at 08:45 on August 15th, 2009

Rory, you're absolutely right. I was always very careful when I was doing research to not ask leading questions because the answers to such questions really can skew results.

Thank you for the recommendation and comment.