Abortion Referendums: Is There a Recipe for Success?

Abstract

The topic of abortion has been among the most salient and polarizing issues on the European continent since the 1960s. However, abortion referendums have not received much attention from political scientists—to date, there is no comparative analysis of such popular votes. This article goes beyond the usual models of single case/country analyses and examines nationwide referendums on this policy in four European countries from the last four decades. The analysis focuses on twelve referendums and aims to identify the factors behind the pro‐choice or pro‐life outcome of a referendum by exploring the impact of relative consensus within the parliament, support of the head of government and medical experts, and the level of secularization of the country. The findings suggest that these factors have a substantial influence on the outcome. Related Articles Carmines, Edward G., Jessica C. Gerrity, and Michael W. Wagner. 2010. “How Abortion Became a Partisan Issue: Media Coverage of the Interest Group‐Political Party Connection.” Politics & Policy 38 (6): 1135‐1158. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00272.x Doan, Alesha E., and Corinne Schwarz. 2020. “Father Knows Best: ‘Protecting’ Women through State Surveillance and Social Control in Anti‐Abortion Policy.” Politics & Policy 48 (1): 6‐37. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12337 LaFrance, T. Casey, and Brian Frederick. 2007. “Economic Status versus Same‐Sex Marriage Referenda in the 2004 Democratic Presidential Vote in ‘Appalachian’ Counties.” Politics & Policy 35 (2): 298‐317. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00061.x

Applying global lessons to protect abortion access in the United States

“…Colombia’s experience reinforces the argument that strategic litigation is most effective when there is an existing rights framework, an independent and knowledgeable judiciary, civil society capacity to frame social problems as rights problems and litigate, and a network able to support and leverage opportunities created by litigation 7. These conditions can be met alone or, as in Michigan, in tandem with referendum campaigns, taking into account that in some contexts, such as Colombia, referendums have been a tool traditionally proposed by anti-rights sectors.…”

“…In contrast to the regression of abortion rights in the US, the global trend is towards liberalisation of abortion laws 5. Globally, strategic litigation, the use of referendums, and new models of advocacy that merge law, public health, and activism have often been successful in legalising, restoring, and protecting abortion rights 678. These efforts can serve as a blueprint for the US as it prepares for an uphill battle securing access to abortion state by state.…”