Over the past five decades, those who are pro-life have come to understand how abortion polls can be constructed in a way that leads to a pro-abortion conclusion. The inquiry must begin with the recognition that the questions posed regarding the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decisions, are fundamentally flawed.
On Thursday, however, Rasmussen Reports published a report under the headline: The majority of respondents now approve of the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion.
It is worth noting the straightforward nature of the question. In a landmark decision last year, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, thereby allowing each state to determine its own laws regarding abortion. Please indicate whether you approve or disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
There is no inclination in any direction. The following is a summary of the key findings of a survey of 1,051 likely voters.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey indicates that 52% of likely U.S. voters approve of the court overturning Roe v. Wade, including 37% who strongly approve. A total of 44% of respondents expressed disapproval of the decision, including 36% who expressed strong disapproval. In June of last year, 50% of respondents approved of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
It is not surprising that a majority of Republicans support the outcome, with 72% approving. What is surprising is that a third of Democrats also approve, with 34% expressing support. As is to be expected, the opinions of Independents are of great significance in this context. The latest figures show that 51% of Independents approve of the court’s decision to return abortion to the states, while 44% disapprove.
What are the underlying causes of the disparate outcomes?
It is notable that other polls omitted a crucial aspect of the debate: the return of the abortion issue to the states. Instead, the question posed would simply inquire about whether respondents approved or disapproved of “overturning Roe” or “overturning a woman’s constitutional right to have an abortion.”
In contrast, the Rasmussen Reports presents the information in a straightforward manner, informing likely voters that Dobbs means that each state can now determine its own laws regarding abortion.
Further data from the Rasmussen Reports abortion poll is presented below.
A majority of men (59%) and women (46%) voters expressed at least some approval of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The data indicates that 49% of white voters, 57% of Black voters and 57% of other minority groups approve of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
A significant proportion of the population, comprising 89% of white voters, 81% of black voters and 72% of other minority groups, believe that the issue of abortion will be a key factor in the 2024 election.
The data indicates that those aged 65 and above are most likely to approve of the Supreme Court ruling from last year, while those below the age of 40 are most likely to believe that the abortion issue will be a significant factor in the upcoming election.
On 14 June, Gallup released a poll which posed a series of questions pertaining to the circumstances under which abortion should be legal. The article’s headline, “Broader Support for Abortion Rights Continues Post-Dobbs,” was accurate but misleading.
The distinguishing feature of Gallup polls is that, since 1975, respondents have been asked to define their position on the legalisation of abortion, specifying whether they believe it should be permitted “only under certain circumstances.” This then raises the question of whether the respondents wished for abortion to be legal in most or only a few circumstances.
In a recent study, Gallup’s Lydia Saad observed that approximately half of Americans (47%) now support the legalisation of abortion in all (34%) or most (13%) circumstances. Conversely, a similar proportion (49%) of respondents expressed a desire for abortion to be legal in only a few (36%) or illegal in all (13%) circumstances.
What were the figures for the previous year in the period following the Dobbs decision?
A Gallup poll revealed that 53% of respondents believed that abortion should be legal in all circumstances, while 45% held the opposing view that it should be legal in few or no circumstances.
In the context of this year’s benchmark question, the results demonstrated a net gain of approximately 4% in favour of the pro-life position. It is important to recall this information.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
