The Social and Economic Consequences of a Ban on Abortion

1. The Social and Economic Consequences of a Ban on Abortion Patti Lee 2007

2. 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

3. Landmark Supreme Court Cases • Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) • Roe v. Wade (1973) • Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) • Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

4. 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”

5. Roe v. Wade (1973) • Norma L. McCorvey • Could not have abortion under Texas law • Abortion deemed as a fundamental right

6. 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

7. 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

8. Presidential Administrations on the Issue

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Economic Consequences

14. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children • Four eligibility requirements: • categorical • residential • Income • nutrition risk • Statistics • demographics of participants • Annual cost

15. SocialConsequences

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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.