Gallup first asked Americans about their views on abortion in 1975, two years after Roe vs. Wade. The question: Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstance, or illegal in all circumstances? The results: fascinating.
Gallup's Lydia Saad is out this week with the first two articles in a riveting, in-depth, multi-part series that looks at the long-term changes in Americans' abortion views.
In part one, Saad reveals that Republicans' and Democrats' views on abortion have become increasingly polarized over the years. In 1975, 19% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans said they thought abortion should be "legal under any circumstance." In 2009, 31% of Democrats and 12% of Republicans say the same.
Part two uncovers an increasing convergence in generational support for broadly legalizing abortion. In 1975, younger adults (aged 18 to 49) and middle-aged adults (aged 50 to 64) differed on their views regarding making abortion legal in all cases. About one in four 18- to 29-year-olds and 30- to 49-year-olds favored abortion being "legal under any circumstances," while 19% of 50- to 64-year-olds said the same. In 2009, about one in four in each of the three age groups held this view.
Saad breaks down the data further in her articles, reviewing changes in the percent who say abortion should be "illegal under any circumstances," tracking the trend within each age group by performing a "cohort" analysis, and looking at where Americans overall stand on the issue as of 2009.