Document Type
Article
Abstract
The debate around women’s reproductive health care, and particularly restrictions on abortion, remains a hotly contested area of American politics. Increasingly, restrictions on abortion access have become politically salient and increasingly common. While traditional justification from anti-abortion forces often rests on arguments about the reverence for life, increasingly we have seen an emphasis on the argument that anti-abortion policy protect women and children. Yet if those preferences truly drive abortion attitudes, then the same attitudes that predict abortion restrictions should also predict preferences for policies that materially support women and children. However, if instead attitudes towards women’s place in society drive abortion preferences, no such pattern should emerge. We examine the role of gender resentment, measured as hostile sexism, in shaping the debate and explore how the politics of resentment influences opinions on these topics across parties. Using data across American National Election Studies, we show how gender resentment conditions partisan attitudes on abortion and childcare in the United States, even among individuals who would otherwise be inclined to support more liberal policies.
Recommended Citation
Nicole Kalaf-Hughes, Debra Leiter, It's Not About the Children: How Gender Resentment Shapes Public Opinion on Abortion in the United States, 16 ConLawNOW 231 (2025)