Roe Vs Wade Research Paper

The decision reached in Roe vs. Wade had a significant impact on history. The decision to legalize abortion also has a profound impact on society today. Abortion remains a highly debated issue in the U.S. that continues to define politics in the 21st century. Following the Roe vs. Wade decision, 1.6 million women per year underwent abortion procedures. In the 1990’s, ⅕ of women over the age of 15 had an abortion. Abortions are still very common in the U.S today. Roe vs. Wade didn’t end the abortion debate in the U.S. Pro-life and pro-choice movements formed after Roe vs. Wade, and still exist today. They continue to try to get abortion policies to reflect their interests. Many people still have a strong opinion on abortion, and consider themselves

either pro-life or pro-choice. Abortion supporters or pro-choice advocates were happy with the court’s decision. They believed reproduction was a matter of choice. These people worked to ensure women had access to safe and reliable abortions. Abortion opponents, or pro-life advocates were outraged with the court’s decision. They felt that the Supreme Court had made an irrational choice to legalize abortion.

Jane Roe actually became a pro-life supporter after a religious conversion in 1995. In 1973, the National Right to Life Committee was formed. This is the largest pro-life organization, that still exists today. Pro-life supporters pursued an amendment to the Constitution that would consider a fetus as a legal person. They hoped if abortion laws were challenged the Roe vs. Wade decision would be overturned. The result was that states put restrictive laws into effect. In the 1992 court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, legal restrictions on abortions were lowered. The intention was to get women to change their mind on getting an abortion. Consent forms are now required in most states, which require parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion. Some public funding for abortion was also eliminated. In the 2007 court case Gonzales v. Carhart, the late term abortion procedure of intact dilation and extraction was banned (“Roe v. Wade” par. 6). Many challenges have threatened Roe vs. Wade, but the decision hasn’t been overturned. The issue of abortion had a significant impact on politics in the 20th century, and continues to influence people’s views

today. Presidents of the U.S have made their opinion on abortions known to the public. President Ronald Reagan considered himself pro-life. It was under his presidency that pro-life advocates called for an amendment which would ban abortions. However, the issue wasn’t a priority under Reagan’s presidency. With the election of George H. W. Bush anti abortion forces gained attention for a little while. President Bill Clinton was a pro-choice advocate, and prevented many anti abortion policies (Dyer, par.7). Today, Republican President Donald Trump is strongly against abortions. He has signed an executive order to defund organizations like Planned Parenthood, which provide abortions for women. Due to the Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, abortion became one of the most controversial issues. It caused religious and ethical debates in the 20th century, that continue today.
Roe vs. Wade was an important case for the Supreme Court, that completely changed the way Americans viewed abortion. The women’s rights movements of the 20th century stirred the abortion debate in the U.S. Jane Roe was the woman involved in the case, who was motivated to change state laws that criminalized abortions. The 9th and 14th Amendments of the Constitution had a direct impact on the outcome of the case. Justice Blackmun and Rehnquist wrote the majority and dissenting opinions for Roe vs. Wade, which were based on their interpretation of the right of privacy. The decision to grant women the right to an abortion is still a controversial issue in the U.S today. Roe vs. Wade still remains the most important moment for abortion in the history of the U.S.