New Polling Data Shows Support for Pro-Life Position
May 1999: A new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows what Gallup polls have been showing
since 1975: Most Americans take a pro-life position even if they do not
call themselves "pro-life."
The poll reveals that only one in four Americans, 27%, say abortions
should be legal under any circumstances. The rest all take one of two
pro-life positions: 16% say abortions should be illegal in all
circumstances; and 55% say abortion should be legal only under certain
rare circumstances, such as rape, incest or to save the life of the
mother.
Overall, 71% of Americans oppose 97% or more of all abortions in the
United States. However, that opposition doesn't transcend into whether
people consider themselves "pro-life" or "pro-choice."
The poll shows that people who consider themselves "pro-choice" are no
longer a majority. The figure is 48%, down from a high of 56% three years
ago. There is no real gender difference: 49% of women are "pro-choice,"
47% of men.
The number identifying themselves as "pro-life" has risen from 36% three
years ago to 42% -- men 43%, women 42%.
Analysts attribute much of the "pro-life" gains to the massive educational
campaign the pro-life community has conducted over the last several years
regarding partial-birth abortion.
More than six in 10, 61%, say they favor making partial-birth abortions
illegal, up from 55% two years ago. Support for keeping partial-birth
abortions legal has dropped from 40% to 34% in the same period. Other
polls have shown as many as 80% support making partial-birth abortions
illegal.
Looking to the next elections: Fewer than one in five, 19%, say a
candidate's views on abortion must match theirs to get their vote; 51% say
abortion is just one of many important issues they consider; 27% say it is
not an important factor in their vote at all.
The poll included 1,014 adults. The error margin
is +/- 3 percentage points.
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