Democratic paradox: How federalism and religious activism fuel the rollback of abortion rights in the U.S

Q3 Medicine
E. Chelle
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

This short report examines how the distinctive features of American democracy – particularly its federal structure and activism of religious organizations – shaped the evolution of abortion policy and contestation in the United States. As a synthesis, its purpose is to provide an analytical overview of the evolution of abortion policy in the United States through the lens of political science.

Methods

The bibliography was curated based on each source’s contribution to a political science framework for understanding abortion policy. Priority was given to works that offer conceptual, historical, or institutional insights relevant to the development of abortion regulation, the role of religious mobilization, and the dynamics of federalism in the U.S. context. All quantitative data referenced in this report originate from reputable research institutes and organizations. Notably, data on protest incidents and violence were drawn from the National Abortion Federation, while demographic and access statistics were sourced from the Guttmacher Institute and the Pew Research Center. These organizations are recognized for their methodological rigor and reliability in the field of reproductive health and public policy.

Results

The results demonstrate how U.S. abortion rights have been shaped at the intersection of democratic processes and religious mobilization. The analysis reveals this evolution across four interconnected phases. First, it traces the initial policy formation (1880–1973), where professional and religious groups engaged with state-level democratic institutions to influence early legislation. Second, it examines the era of constitutional conflict (1973–2022), where the federal judiciary became the central democratic arena for rights contestation, culminating in the Dobbs decision. Third, it documents the concurrent rise of a powerful faith-based mobilization, which utilized democratic avenues of protest and lobbying to build a sustained opposition movement in a coherence with the consolidation of a conservative religious right. Finally, the paper highlights the resulting fragmentation of access as a direct outcome of the U.S. federal system—a core democratic feature—which allows politically and religiously motivated state governments to impose significant geographic and socioeconomic barriers. These findings illustrate how religious activism, channeled through America’s unique democratic structures, has defined the nation’s exceptional and contentious approach to abortion.

Conclusions

The primary conclusion is that democratic processes in the United States can paradoxically lead to a regression of established rights. This outcome is driven by the interplay between the nation’s federal institutions and its unique landscape of religious mobilization. The 2022 Dobbs decision exemplifies this dynamic, as it empowered state-level democratic processes to dismantle a nationally recognized right, a move fueled by intense religious activism distinct among Western nations. This has intensified geographic and socioeconomic disparities, demonstrating how America’s specific democratic framework can facilitate a rollback of rights and increase the country’s policy isolation.
民主悖论:联邦制和宗教激进主义如何推动了美国堕胎权的倒退
这篇简短的报告考察了美国民主的独特特征——特别是它的联邦结构和宗教组织的激进主义——如何塑造了美国堕胎政策和争论的演变。作为一个综合,它的目的是通过政治科学的镜头对美国堕胎政策的演变提供一个分析概述。方法参考文献是根据每个来源对理解堕胎政策的政治科学框架的贡献进行整理的。优先考虑那些提供与堕胎法规发展相关的概念、历史或制度见解的作品,宗教动员的作用,以及美国背景下联邦制的动态。本报告中引用的所有定量数据均来自知名研究机构和组织。值得注意的是,有关抗议事件和暴力的数据来自全国堕胎联合会,而人口统计和获取数据来自古特马赫研究所和皮尤研究中心。这些组织在生殖健康和公共政策领域的方法严谨性和可靠性得到公认。结果表明,在民主进程和宗教动员的交叉作用下,美国的堕胎权是如何形成的。分析揭示了这种演变跨越了四个相互关联的阶段。首先,它追溯了最初的政策形成(1880-1973),当时专业和宗教团体与州级民主机构接触,影响了早期的立法。其次,它考察了宪法冲突时代(1973年至2022年),在此期间,联邦司法机构成为权利争论的核心民主舞台,并在多布斯案判决中达到高潮。第三,它记录了一个强大的基于信仰的动员的同时兴起,它利用民主的抗议和游说途径建立了一个持续的反对运动,与保守的宗教权利的巩固相一致。最后,论文强调了作为美国联邦制度(民主的核心特征)的直接结果而导致的访问的碎片化,这使得出于政治和宗教动机的州政府能够施加重大的地理和社会经济障碍。这些发现说明了宗教激进主义是如何通过美国独特的民主结构,定义了这个国家对堕胎的特殊和有争议的做法。主要结论是,美国的民主进程可能矛盾地导致既定权利的倒退。这一结果是由国家的联邦机构和其独特的宗教动员景观之间的相互作用推动的。2022年多布斯案的裁决就是这种动态的例证,它授权州级民主程序废除一项国家承认的权利,这一举动受到西方国家特有的强烈宗教激进主义的推动。这加剧了地理和社会经济差距,表明美国特定的民主框架如何促进权利的倒退,并增加该国的政策孤立。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Ethics, Medicine and Public Health
Ethics, Medicine and Public Health Medicine-Health Policy
CiteScore
2.20
自引率
0.00%
发文量
107
审稿时长
42 days
期刊介绍: This review aims to compare approaches to medical ethics and bioethics in two forms, Anglo-Saxon (Ethics, Medicine and Public Health) and French (Ethique, Médecine et Politiques Publiques). Thus, in their native languages, the authors will present research on the legitimacy of the practice and appreciation of the consequences of acts towards patients as compared to the limits acceptable by the community, as illustrated by the democratic debate.
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