Expanding abortion access strengthens democracy, while abortion bans signal broader repression − worldwide study
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Alison Brysk, University of California, Santa Barbara
(THE CONVERSATION) Abortion is on the agenda not just in the United States but worldwide.
A majority of people in developed democracies increasingly favor abortion rights and self-determination. And, in most places, laws are shifting to reflect public opinion. Since 2020, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico, among others, have legalized abortion. In 2024, France adopted the right to an abortion as a “guaranteed freedom” in its constitution.
At the same time, on every continent, some modern democracies are rolling back reproductive rights, among them Poland, Brazil and the U.S.
My new study, Abortion Rights Backlash, traces the relationship between abortion rights and democracy worldwide. Comparing progress in Argentina and California with the regression of Poland, Texas and beyond, I found that expanding abortion rights strengthens democracy, while restricting reproductive freedom weakens it.
Abortion rights are a test...