Just One-Fourth of Americans Want Abortion Legal for Any Reason

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 22, 2014   |   4:08PM   |   Washington, DC

Gallup’s annual survey of American attitudes about abortion shows the abortion debate is as divided as ever, but it continues to show that just one-fourth of Americans agree with Planned Parenthood and President Barack Obama, that all abortions should be legal any time for any reason.

“Americans remain divided on the abortion issue, with 47% of U.S. adults describing their views as “pro-choice” and 46% as “pro-life,” continuing a pattern seen since 2010,” Gallup said — as the latest poll shows the debate on abortion within the margin of error.

galluppoll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The opinion on abortion has ebbed and flowed over the years in the Gallup survey, as the pro-abortion side fared better and the debate on partial-birth abortions shifted the views back towards the pro-life side in the years following.

Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life,told LifeNews he found good news in the survey.

“The new Gallup poll on abortion, released today, and the Politico poll released earlier this week contain much good news for our nation’s unborn because they show support for additional measures to protect babies in the womb,” he said.

He continued: “The Gallup poll shows that 50 percent of Americans want some restrictions on abortion, with 21 percent of those saying it should be illegal in all circumstances. These are good numbers. Half of all Americans clearly understand that abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy is wrong. It gives me hope that, at the very least, we will soon be able to protect babies from the brutality of a late-term abortion.”

Father Pavone noted that both polls showed a minority of Americans – 28 percent in the Gallup poll and 19 percent in Politico survey — favoring legal abortion at any time and for any reason.

“These findings are consistent with what we have seen for many years,” Father Pavone said. “Most Americans reject most abortions. It is simply false to say that most Americans support Roe v. Wade, because that decision brought us the extreme policy of abortion on demand, which most of the public rejects.”

Gallup’s poll also showed the same regional difference on abortion as before and it indicates women support abortion more than men and younger Americans are more supportive of abortion  — although other polls have arrived at different results.

galluppoll2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gallup poll also showed most Americans do not identify with abortion on demand as supported by Obama and the abortion industry.

“A second long-term Gallup trend, this one measuring Americans’ views on the extent to which abortion should be legal, finds 50% saying abortion should be “legal only under certain circumstances,” or in other words, favoring limited abortion rights. This stance has prevailed since 1975. However, a combined 49% of Americans takes a more hardline position, including 28% saying abortion should be legal in all circumstances and 21% believing it should be illegal in all circumstances,” Gallup notes.

galluppoll3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gallup also found the percentage of Americans who say abortion is an important election issue is on the rise and those who say it is not an important issue have fallen.

galluppoll4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As has been the case for some time, voter intensity is on the pro-life side as pro-life voters are more likely to only consider candidates who share their pro-life views.

galluppoll5