Only 41% of Americans Identify as Pro-Choice

[Frodo]

Bad news for the abortion rights activists:

Poll: Record low are 'pro-choice'

By TIM MAK | 5/23/12 6:22 AM EDT

The percentage of Americans who identify themselves as “pro-choice” is at the lowest point ever measured by Gallup, according to a new survey released Wednesday.

A record-low 41 percent now identify themselves as “pro-choice,” down from 47 percent last July and 1 percentage point down from the previous record low of 42 percent, set in May 2009.

Meanwhile, 50 percent of Americans now consider themselves “pro-life,” one point below Gallup’s record high on the measure.

“Gallup began asking Americans to define themselves as pro-choice or pro-life on abortion in 1995, and since then, identification with the labels has shifted from a wide lead for the pro-choice position in the mid-1990s, to a generally narrower lead for “pro-choice” — from 1998 through 2008 — to a close division between the two positions since 2009,” explains the polling firm.

“Pro-life” identification is up among all three U.S. political affiliations: 72 percent of Republicans are “pro-life,” up from 68 percent last year; 47 percent of independents are, compared with 41 percent last year; and 34 percent of Democrats are, compared with 27 percent last year.
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Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76660.html#ixzz1vkSBgpa9

[Simfan34]

Yeah! This social issue still lives, the last mainstream defensible conservative social issue. Okay it's not that dramatic, but there is hope of a rollback.

[Emperor SJoyce]

[State Comptroller Atkins]

....and yet more people support the legality of abortion.

[Governor Scott]

This doesn't really make much sense, considering


If someone's pro-life, then logically, they should support banning abortion, but this poll clearly doesn't show that.  51% of Americans consider abortion morally wrong, but there is still very little support for banning the procedure.  It really goes to show that political labels are practically meaningless, especially since there are those who self-identify as "personally pro-life", but don't let personal objections to it influence their political views.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

This doesn't really make much sense, considering


If someone's pro-life, then logically, they should support banning abortion, but this poll clearly doesn't show that.  51% of Americans consider abortion morally wrong, but there is still very little support for banning the procedure.  It really goes to show that political labels are practically meaningless, especially since there are those who self-identify as "personally pro-life", but don't let personal objections to it influence their political views.

I highly doubt many would object to the right of abortion if the life of the mother was in danger.

[Secretary Polnut]

I think it makes clear that it's a very complicated issue, with people bringing their own preconceptions. Not all pro-life people are pro-life in all circumstances, and not all pro-choice people are pro-choice in all circumstances.

[shua]

Most of the arguments about abortion in our society are over restricting it rather than completely banning it. Since the pro-choice side of the argument is always against any restrictions, and pro-lifers focus more on restrictions rather than bans, the pro-choice number is headed more toward that 25% who believe it should always be legal.

[Secretary Polnut]

Most of the arguments about abortion in our society are over restricting it rather than completely banning it. Since the pro-choice side of the argument is always against any restrictions, and pro-lifers focus more on restrictions rather than bans, the pro-choice number is headed more toward that 25% who believe it should always be legal.

No, not entirely.

[Governor Scott]

It's also important to note, "legal under any" can mean anything; maybe a person believes abortion should be legal in situations that don't involve rape or incest, but think it should be outlawed at a certain point.  Or, maybe someone supports abortion rights for any reason, but oppose letting minors obtain abortions without parental consent or approval.  Polnut said it best.  This seems to be a pretty rough issue to poll on since everyone has their own proconceptions or interpretations of the questions and people differ on where the line (if any) should be drawn in regards to it.

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

It really depends on what a person means by "pro-life".  And if a pollster doesn't define that, allowing the subjects to define it themselves renders the poll pretty much pointless.

[shua]

Most of the arguments about abortion in our society are over restricting it rather than completely banning it. Since the pro-choice side of the argument is always against any restrictions, and pro-lifers focus more on restrictions rather than bans, the pro-choice number is headed more toward that 25% who believe it should always be legal.

No, not entirely.

In every case where restrictions on abortions have been proposed, it is called a "war on choice" and pro-choice advocacy groups oppose it. That's not to say that individual pro-choicers don't support some restrictions, but there's no doubt where the pro-choice activists and talking heads stand.

[True Federalist]

I suspect that in the context of this poll, "pro-life" should be interpreted broadly as being favor of making certain categories of abortion illegal rather than as making all abortions illegal, such as limiting abortion to the first trimester only. (Which is when most abortions take place anyway.)

[shua]

I suspect that in the context of this poll, "pro-life" should be interpreted broadly as being favor of making certain categories of abortion illegal rather than as making all abortions illegal, such as limiting abortion to the first trimester only. (Which is when most abortions take place anyway.)

Pro-choice or pro-life can't be mapped onto a specific legal position here. It's about how a person views their own priorities - whether they see protecting life or protecting the right to choose abortion as the most important value.  There's going to be a lot of shades of grey in terms of policy or law, but the self-identification is important because it reveals a lot about how abortion is viewed as a social problem and not just as a legal one.

[True Federalist]

I suspect that in the context of this poll, "pro-life" should be interpreted broadly as being favor of making certain categories of abortion illegal rather than as making all abortions illegal, such as limiting abortion to the first trimester only. (Which is when most abortions take place anyway.)

Pro-choice or pro-life can't be mapped onto a specific legal position here. It's about how a person views their own priorities - whether they see protecting life or protecting the right to choose abortion as the most important value.  There's going to be a lot of shades of grey in terms of policy or law, but the self-identification is important because it reveals a lot about how abortion is viewed as a social problem and not just as a legal one.

I agree with you to a point.  Consider the first-trimester proposal I put forth as an example earlier.  For someone who thinks that would be the ideal stance on abortions, then given our current law, such a person would likely self-identify as pro-life, yet if our current law banned abortion, then such a person would likely self-identify as pro-choice.

Hence the poll is somewhat useful.  It shows the public sentiment is in favor of restricting abortion more than is currently the case, tho it does not offer much guidance on how restrictive they wish the law were.

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

I suspect that in the context of this poll, "pro-life" should be interpreted broadly as being favor of making certain categories of abortion illegal rather than as making all abortions illegal, such as limiting abortion to the first trimester only. (Which is when most abortions take place anyway.)

Pro-choice or pro-life can't be mapped onto a specific legal position here. It's about how a person views their own priorities - whether they see protecting life or protecting the right to choose abortion as the most important value.  There's going to be a lot of shades of grey in terms of policy or law, but the self-identification is important because it reveals a lot about how abortion is viewed as a social problem and not just as a legal one.

It also depends on what a person defines as "life".  If you believe that life begins in the third trimester, then you could be "pro-life" and have no problem with first trimester abortions.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I was always amazed about how controversial and topical the issue of abortion is in the US. In Europe it is virtually non-existent since I remember myself.
Even here in Greece, by far the most socially conservative country in the EU, abortion was legalized back in the 70's with little resistance from the powerful Orthodox church and nobody ever mentioned it since then, much less used it as a wedge issue.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

And yet something like 75% of people favor abortion in at least some cases. There are a lot of hypocrites there.

[shua]

And yet something like 75% of people favor abortion in at least some cases. There are a lot of hypocrites there.

Saying something should be legal isn't the same as favoring it.

[Purch]

I'd expect there to always be strong support for the pro-life movement since unlike things like contraception which seems cut and dry the right to life is such a basic right that it basiclly stands completey independent from any other issue of it's class. In terms of other decisions throughout history which refefined what's considered life, Roe v Wade isn't in great company .

Personally I feel both abortion and Capital punishment should be done away with because I feel a person's right to life is absolute in every situation. Take for example if a person tries to scream that a homosexual community should be burned to the ground, as a result he should be arrested because his right to free speech is infringing on someone's right to life. Hence, I feel a women's right to her own body is absolute until it infrignes on the right to that baby's life ( I don't separate parts of life from fertilization to the time we die I personally feel we're one life who's right to life should always be protected).

That being said I also feel that if the mothers life is endangered and her right to life is being compromised then an abortion should be allowed to be recommended in that situation.

[Gravis Marketing]

Meanwhile, 90% of elected officials identify as "fiscally conservative."

[Badger]

If you ever want to get a self-identified "pro-life" or "anti-abortion" voter to oh so grudgingly consider changing their label, ask them how many years of prison a woman should serve for having an abortion.

Most of the time: "Oh, I don't think people should go to jail for it, I just don't like abortion...."

[BaldEagle1991]

I personally don't take polls regarding abortion very reliable, mainly because it's a complicated issue. I think most people would not endorse a third trimester abortion or a sex-selective abortion, but many wouldn't mind an abortion if it was based on rape or incest or if it was for life threatening health related reasons.

[Former Moderate]

Plenty of pro-choice people mistakenly identify as pro-life. Abortion is not, and never has been, a black-and-white issue. There's plenty of gray area — late-term, life of the mother, health of the mother, when life begins, etc.

You'll never get an accurate reading of public opinion by shoehorning abortion into a "yes" or "no."

[Torie]

Plenty of pro-choice people mistakenly identify as pro-life. Abortion is not, and never has been, a black-and-white issue. There's plenty of gray area — late-term, life of the mother, health of the mother, when life begins, etc.

You'll never get an accurate reading of public opinion by shoehorning abortion into a "yes" or "no."

Good point. I never thought of that before!