The Volokh Conspiracy - A Majority of Americans (and of Liberals and of Democrats) Favors Spousal Notification.--

Is opposing spousal notification "out of the mainstream" in America?

Those of us who oppose a law requiring spousal notification of a woman's intention to have an abortion must recognize that ours is the minority view — and has been for nearly two decades. I don't think that this would put us "out of the mainstream" (because about a quarter to a third of the population agrees with us), but we should recognize that a majority of Americans from almost all backgrounds favors notification.

I just examined the Roper Poll database to see what percentage of the US public favors (and favored) a law requiring a woman to notify her husband of an abortion.

The data suggest that a pretty solid majority of Americans favors notification — young and old; black and white; Republican and Democrat; liberal and conservative; North and South; and Protestant, Catholic, and nonreligious (but not Jewish).

2003
Gallup
N=1,002
January 10-12, 2003

QUESTION:

Do you favor or oppose ... A law requiring that the husband of a married woman be notified if she decides to have an abortion?

RESULTS:

72% Favor
26% Oppose
2% Don't know/Refused

1996
Gallup
N=1,008
July 26-28, 1996

QUESTION:

Do you favor or oppose ... A law requiring that the husband of a married woman be notified if she decides to have an abortion?

RESULTS:

71 % Favor
26% Oppose
4 % Don't know/Refused

DEMOGRAPHICS, % favoring notification

70% White
71% Black
78% Hispanic
78% Republican
66% Democrat
70% Independent
60% Liberal
68% Moderate
79% Conservative
75% 18-29 years old
71% 30-39
64% 40-49
66% 50-59
69% 60-69
79% 70 and over

1992
American National Election Study
N=2,487
September 1 - November 2, 1992

QUESTION:

Would you favor or oppose a law in your state that would require a married woman to notify her husband before she can have an abortion?

RESULTS:

63% Favor
34% Oppose
4% Don't know

1992
Princeton Survey Research Associates
N=1,301
SPONSOR: Times Mirror
April 30 -- May 3, 1992

QUESTION:

As I read some restrictions on abortion that are being debated please tell me if you favor or oppose each:... requiring that married women in most cases notify their husbands before they have an abortion.

RESULTS:

69% Favor
27% Oppose
4% Don't know

DEMOGRAPHICS, favoring notification:

68% White
73% Black
76% Hispanic
71% Republican
67% Democrat
69% Independent

1992
Gallup
N=1,001
January 16-19, 1992

QUESTION:

Do you favor or oppose ... A law requiring that the husband of a married woman be notified if she decides to have an abortion

RESULTS:

73% Favor
25% Oppose
2% Don't know

DEMOGRAPHICS:

72% White
76% Black
86% Asian
73% Republican
69% Democrat
75% Independent
57% Liberal
75% Moderate
76% Conservative

RESULTS OF OTHER SURVEYS:

1992, Life Magazine:

67% Favor notification of husband

1991, Gallup

63% Favor notification of husband

December 1989, USA TODAY

57% Favor notification of husband or partner

July 1989, USA TODAY

63% Favor notification of husband or partner

UPDATE: Some have asked about where to get these polls. As I indicated, these summaries are from the Roper Poll database. If you have a subscription, they can be accessed here. Otherwise, both LEXIS and WESTLAW have them, if your institution has a subscription to either of these. To access the Roper Poll database in LEXIS, switch to "command searching" and enter: "News;rpoll". For those with subscriptions, the Gallup Polls are available at the Gallup Brain, and the data for the 1992 American National Election Study is downloadable at ICPSR and perhaps elsewhere.

In addition, three 2005 polls show that 74-78% of Americans favor parental notification for minors having abortions, which pretty closely matches the 71-80% favoring parental notification in studies going back to the late 1980s, so there doesn't appear to be much of a trend in the last two decades in the proportion that favors notification statutes.

	[Jim Lindgren, October 31, 2005 at 3:30pm] Trackbacks A Majority of Americans (and of Liberals and of Democrats) Favors Spousal Notification.-- Is *opposing* spousal notification "out of the mainstream" in America? Those of us who oppose a law requiring spousal notification of a woman's intention to have an abortion must recognize that ours is the minority view — and has been for nearly two decades. I don't think that this would put us "out of the mainstream" (because about a quarter to a third of the population agrees with us), but we should recognize that a majority of Americans from almost all backgrounds favors notification. I just examined the Roper Poll database to see what percentage of the US public favors (and favored) a law requiring a woman to notify her husband of an abortion. The data suggest that a pretty solid majority of Americans favors notification — young and old; black and white; Republican and Democrat; liberal and conservative; North and South; and Protestant, Catholic, and nonreligious (but not Jewish). 2003 Gallup N=1,002 January 10-12, 2003 QUESTION: Do you favor or oppose ... A law requiring that the husband of a married woman be notified if she decides to have an abortion? RESULTS: 72% Favor 26% Oppose 2% Don't know/Refused 1996 Gallup N=1,008 July 26-28, 1996 QUESTION: Do you favor or oppose ... A law requiring that the husband of a married woman be notified if she decides to have an abortion? RESULTS: 71 % Favor 26% Oppose 4 % Don't know/Refused DEMOGRAPHICS, % favoring notification 70% White 71% Black 78% Hispanic 78% Republican 66% Democrat 70% Independent 60% Liberal 68% Moderate 79% Conservative 75% 18-29 years old 71% 30-39 64% 40-49 66% 50-59 69% 60-69 79% 70 and over 1992 American National Election Study N=2,487 September 1 - November 2, 1992 QUESTION: Would you favor or oppose a law in your state that would require a married woman to notify her husband before she can have an abortion? RESULTS: 63% Favor 34% Oppose 4% Don't know 1992 Princeton Survey Research Associates N=1,301 SPONSOR: Times Mirror April 30 -- May 3, 1992 QUESTION: As I read some restrictions on abortion that are being debated please tell me if you favor or oppose each:... requiring that married women in most cases notify their husbands before they have an abortion. RESULTS: 69% Favor 27% Oppose 4% Don't know DEMOGRAPHICS, favoring notification: 68% White 73% Black 76% Hispanic 71% Republican 67% Democrat 69% Independent 1992 Gallup N=1,001 January 16-19, 1992 QUESTION: Do you favor or oppose ... A law requiring that the husband of a married woman be notified if she decides to have an abortion RESULTS: 73% Favor 25% Oppose 2% Don't know DEMOGRAPHICS: 72% White 76% Black 86% Asian 73% Republican 69% Democrat 75% Independent 57% Liberal 75% Moderate 76% Conservative RESULTS OF OTHER SURVEYS: 1992, Life Magazine: 67% Favor notification of husband 1991, Gallup 63% Favor notification of husband December 1989, USA TODAY 57% Favor notification of husband or partner July 1989, USA TODAY 63% Favor notification of husband or partner UPDATE: Some have asked about where to get these polls. As I indicated, these summaries are from the Roper Poll database. If you have a subscription, they can be accessed here. Otherwise, both LEXIS and WESTLAW have them, if your institution has a subscription to either of these. To access the Roper Poll database in LEXIS, switch to "command searching" and enter: "News;rpoll". For those with subscriptions, the Gallup Polls are available at the Gallup Brain, and the data for the 1992 American National Election Study is downloadable at ICPSR and perhaps elsewhere. In addition, three 2005 polls show that 74-78% of Americans favor parental notification for minors having abortions, which pretty closely matches the 71-80% favoring parental notification in studies going back to the late 1980s, so there doesn't appear to be much of a trend in the last two decades in the proportion that favors notification statutes.