The Politics of Abortion

the long version

In The Politics of Abortion, Anne Hendershott carefully analyzes the politics behind our most contentious issue. How did the culture shift that produced Roe v Wade occur? How did the Democratic Party move from being the party of the New Deal, Medicare, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children to the party of abortion-on-demand? Why are black women targeted as the primary consumers of abortion services? Why does Hollywood celebrate abortion and abortion providers in films and television? Why do pro-choice clergy assure followers that abortion is a sacred choice? Finally, arguing that Roe v Wade effectively radicalized the abortion debate by denying to the pro-life side the ordinary tools of politics and persuasion, Hendershott asks that we begin to move the discussions from the courts back to the realm of politics where there might be some prospect of resolution.