Matters of Life and Death

Abstract

This article investigates the structure of attitudes toward abortion, using several demographic, political, and religious variables. The analysis is based on a 1978 survey of New Jersey's voting age population. Responses to questions on three aspects of the abortion issue—a constitutional ban on abortion, abortion on demand, and government funding of abortions—are combined to form a scale of support and opposition to abortion. We find that support for abortion is related to youth, high socioeconomic status, a liberal ideology, opposition to right-to-die legislation, and support for the Equal Rights Amendment. Additionally, we find that approval for abortion is not a function of religious preference, rather, attitudes on abortion are a function of intensity of religious adherence, regardless of specific religions.

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