Abortion Politics

Abortion has remained one of the most volatile and polarizing issues in the United States for over four decades. Americans are more divided today than ever over abortion, and this debate colors the political, economic, and social dynamics of the country.

This book provides a balanced, clear-eyed overview of the abortion debate, including the perspectives of both the pro-life and pro-choice movements. It covers the history of the debate from colonial times to the present, the mobilization of mass movements around the issue, the ways it is understood by ordinary Americans, the impact it has had on US political development, and the differences between the abortion conflict in the US and the rest of the world. Throughout these discussions, Ziad Munson demonstrates how the meaning of abortion has shifted to reflect the changing anxieties and cultural divides which it has come to represent.

Abortion Politics is an invaluable companion for exploring the abortion issue and what it has to say about American society, as well as the dramatic changes in public understanding of women’s rights, medicine, religion, and partisanship.

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: The Making of the Abortion Controversy
• Chapter 3: The Dynamics of the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life Movements
• Chapter 4: Public Attitudes and Beliefs about Abortion
• Chapter 5: The Impact of Abortion on American Politics
• Chapter 6: American Exceptionalism
• Chapter 7: Stability and Change in Abortion Politics
• References

“A masterful overview of abortion politics in America. Munson cuts through partisan politics and offers readers a straightforward look at how the abortion controversy has changed over time and its effects on American politics. A must read for anyone interested in how the abortion controversy has impacted American society.”
Deana A. Rohlinger, Florida State University

“Ziad Munson’s lively and insightful book tackles the most heated controversy in American politics with rare balance and nuance. It has everything I could want in an undergraduate text on abortion politics but also makes novel arguments about the changing meanings of the issue. It is by far the best introduction to the history and politics of abortion available today.”
Drew Halfmann, University of California, Davis
Ziad Munson is Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University