Roe effect
Encyclopedia
The Roe effect is a theory
about the long-term effect of abortion
on the political balance of the United States
, which suggests that since supporters of abortion rights
cause the erosion of their own political base, the practice of abortion will eventually lead to the restriction or illegalization of abortion. It is named after Roe v. Wade
, the U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively legalized abortion nationwide in the U.S. Its best-known proponent is James Taranto
of the Wall Street Journal who coined the phrase "Roe effect" in Best of the Web Today, his OpinionJournal.com
column.
Put simply, this theory holds that:
A similar argument suggests that political groups that oppose abortion will tend to have more supporters in the long run than those who support it. See "The Roe Effect: The right to abortion has diminished the number of Democratic voters" by Taranto (Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2005) for a detailed explanation and statistical evidence that Taranto claims supports his theory.
Taranto first discussed the concept in January 2003, and named it in December 2003. He later suggested that the Roe effect serves as an explanation for the fact that the fall in teen birthrates is "greatest in liberal states, where pregnant teenagers
would be more likely to [have abortions] and thus less likely to carry their babies to term."
The Journal has also published articles about this topic by Larry L. Eastland and Arthur C. Brooks.
Wellesley College Professor of Economics
Phillip Levine, while acknowledging that Taranto's hypothesis cannot be dismissed out of hand, has pointed out several flaws in Taranto's reasoning. He writes that the conditions laid out by Taranto make several incorrect assumptions, most notably that pregnancies are events that are completely out of the control of the women. He writes, "If people engage in sexual activity (or not), or choose to use birth control (or not), independent of outside influences, then [Taranto's and Eastland's] statistical statements would be valid."
Theory
The English word theory was derived from a technical term in Ancient Greek philosophy. The word theoria, , meant "a looking at, viewing, beholding", and referring to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action...
about the long-term effect of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
on the political balance of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which suggests that since supporters of abortion rights
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
cause the erosion of their own political base, the practice of abortion will eventually lead to the restriction or illegalization of abortion. It is named after Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
, the U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively legalized abortion nationwide in the U.S. Its best-known proponent is James Taranto
James Taranto
James Taranto is an American columnist for The Wall Street Journal, editor of its online editorial page OpinionJournal.com and a member of the newspaper's editorial board. He is best known for his daily online column Best of the Web Today...
of the Wall Street Journal who coined the phrase "Roe effect" in Best of the Web Today, his OpinionJournal.com
OpinionJournal.com
OpinionJournal.com was a website featuring content from the editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal. It existed separately from the news content at wsj.com until January 2008, when it was merged into the main website....
column.
Put simply, this theory holds that:
- Those who favor legal abortion are much more likely to get one than those who oppose it.
- Children usually follow their parents' political leanings.
- Therefore, pro-choicePro-choiceSupport for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
parents will have more abortions and, hence, fewer children. - Therefore, the pro-choice population gradually shrinks in proportion to the pro-lifePro-lifeOpposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
population. - Therefore, support for legal abortions will decline over time.
A similar argument suggests that political groups that oppose abortion will tend to have more supporters in the long run than those who support it. See "The Roe Effect: The right to abortion has diminished the number of Democratic voters" by Taranto (Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2005) for a detailed explanation and statistical evidence that Taranto claims supports his theory.
Taranto first discussed the concept in January 2003, and named it in December 2003. He later suggested that the Roe effect serves as an explanation for the fact that the fall in teen birthrates is "greatest in liberal states, where pregnant teenagers
Teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is a pregnancy of a female under the age of 20 when the pregnancy ends. It generally refers to a female who is unmarried and usually refers to an unplanned pregnancy...
would be more likely to [have abortions] and thus less likely to carry their babies to term."
The Journal has also published articles about this topic by Larry L. Eastland and Arthur C. Brooks.
Wellesley College Professor of Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
Phillip Levine, while acknowledging that Taranto's hypothesis cannot be dismissed out of hand, has pointed out several flaws in Taranto's reasoning. He writes that the conditions laid out by Taranto make several incorrect assumptions, most notably that pregnancies are events that are completely out of the control of the women. He writes, "If people engage in sexual activity (or not), or choose to use birth control (or not), independent of outside influences, then [Taranto's and Eastland's] statistical statements would be valid."
See also
- Legalized abortion and crime effectLegalized abortion and crime effectThe effect of legalized abortion on crime is the theory that legal abortion reduces crime. Proponents of the theory generally argue that since unwanted children are more likely to become criminals and that an inverse correlation is observed between the availability of abortion and subsequent crime...
- The movie, IdiocracyIdiocracyIdiocracy is a 2006 American film, a satirical science fiction comedy, directed by Mike Judge and starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Terry Crews....
, explores this idea in a humorous setting. - William BennettWilliam BennettWilliam John "Bill" Bennett is an American conservative pundit, politician, and political theorist. He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H. W...
, especially his radio-show comment on abortion