Party Reform and the Origins of Abortion Politics

• In Event: Parties and Polarization across the United States

Abstract

The partisan divide over abortion rights is one of the central features of contemporary partisan polarization. Understanding the origins of this divide is therefore crucial to assessing not only how social issues emerged in American politics in the late 20th century but also the process by which parties grew apart generally. We demonstrate that this partisan divide emerged in 1970-72, almost a decade earlier than previously believed---and that it came about because of structural reforms to Democratic state conventions that opened these conventions to young activists.

Nearly all accounts argue that it was only in 1978-80, as social conservatives formed a coalition with national Republicans, led by Ronald Reagan, that the parties began to stake out opposing positions on abortion. Drawing on several large, newly created, data sets---drawn from years of research locating state party platforms, finding newspaper and archival accounts of state party conventions, analyzing public opinion data, and tracking down state legislative roll call votes on abortion---we argue that this account needs substantial revision. First, we show that the origins of the partisan divide on abortion can be traced to 1970-72, before the \textit{Roe v. Wade} decision. Second, these events were driven at the state level, even as they failed initially at the national level. Third, Democratic party leaders, even at the state level, almost always resisted the work that was being done by activists. And fourth, it was liberal activists, empowered by the McGovern-Fraser reforms and targeting the Democratic party, who laid the groundwork for this divide.

Authors

• Gerald Gamm, University of Rochester

• Justin Phillips, Columbia University