The Abortion Issue In The US

The abortion controversy is not new in the American history.In 1973,the Supreme Court issued the decision in Roe v.Wade which conferred the right to abortion on American women.The landmark ruling provoked the abortion debate between the pro-life and pro-choice groups,and pushed the conservatives to overturn the ruling through political and legislative means.Since the 1970 s,the American public and elites have been increasingly split on the abortion issue.In June 2022,Roe was reversed by the Supreme Court of the United States(SCOTUS)in the case of Dobbs v.Jackson Women’s Health Organization.The fall of this super precedent that existed for half a century will have far-reaching implications for the American society and politics.In this thesis,the author will analyze how and why the landmark decision was overturned by SCOTUS mainly in a political term.Documentary analysis will be taken as the main methodology.Beyond the direct reason of the weak legal foundation,many political factors contribute much to Roe’s reversal.Struggles over judicial appointments between the two major parties shifted the ideology of the Supreme Court.The political behavior of party elites and religious voters was mutually reinforced in presidential elections,leading to polarization on abortion.The overruling of Roe widens the social divide and inequality among the socially and economically disadvantaged women.From political perspectives,Roe’s reversal will impact the Supreme Court,the American legal and democratic framework,and the political behavior of some party elites and voters.In the next several decades,the American abortion policy is predicted to move away from liberalization due to a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.