More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time

15 May 2009 @ 12:05 pm | 3 comments

More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time”

A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves “pro-life” on the issue of abortion and 42% “pro-choice.” This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.

Interesting in a time when the GOP seems to be shying away from social issues (its presidential nominee last year didn’t sure seem interested in them), yet Republican voters account entirely for the pro-life shift.

The source of the shift in abortion views is clear in the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey. The percentage of Republicans (including independents who lean Republican) calling themselves “pro-life” rose by 10 points over the past year, from 60% to 70%, while there has been essentially no change in the views of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

I don’t know what would explain for a 10 point shift in one year especially when it hasn’t been a front-and-center issue.

As a reminder, Mormons are second most likely religion to oppose abortion.

(Possibly) Related posts:

  1. Religious Intensity and Party Identification
  2. LDS Church to shut down Beneficial Life, eventually
  3. They told me if I voted Republican the new President would constantly be invoking Jesus, and they were right!

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  1. Seanette’s avatar

    Seanette on 15 May 2009 at 12:49 pm

    I certainly hope this marks an actual shift in our society’s regard for the innocent unborn, and isn’t just a hiccup in the poll’s statistical calculations.

  2. David H. Sundwall’s avatar

    David H. Sundwall on 15 May 2009 at 1:18 pm

    Agreed.

    Hopefully, pro-lifers won’t overreach but take encouragement just the same.

    I think the perception of Americans as mostly pro-choice has been overstated and it’s not an issue that should be shied from.

    It’s ironic that the the GOP has been accused of becoming much more conservative but pretty much avoided social issues last year.

  3. David B’s avatar

    David B on 16 May 2009 at 7:42 pm

    I think part of it’s definitional–”pro-life” and “pro-choice” aren’t static terms, and as poll after poll has shown, most Americans are somewhere vaguely (often literally–lots of people don’t have a well-defined position) in the middle on the issue. I suspect that what you’re actually seeing here, having looked a bit at the numbers behind this, is a change in what people are perceiving terms for positions to mean, not that American political opinion has shifted much if at all.