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.