Right-to-Life Movement, the Reagan Administration, and the Politics of Abortion

£54.99

Right-to-Life Movement, the Reagan Administration, and the Politics of Abortion

Feminism and feminist theory Political science and theory History History of the Americas History: specific events and topics Social and cultural history

Author: Prudence Flowers

Dinosaur mascot

Collection: Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements

Language: English

Published by: Palgrave Pivot

Published on: 3rd November 2018

Format: LCP-protected ePub

Size: 1 Mb

ISBN: 9783030017071


This book offers a political, ideological, and social history of the national right-to-life movement in the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan. It analyzes anti-abortion engagement with the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, and offers what is frequently a narrative of disappointment and factionalism. The chapters explore pro-life responses to Supreme Court vacancies, attempts to pass a constitutional amendment, and broader legislative and bureaucratic strategies, including successful campaigns against international and domestic family planning programs. The book suggests that the 1980s transformed the anti-abortion cause, limiting the types of ideas and approaches possible at a national level. Although the movement later claimed Reagan as a "pro-life hero", while he was President right-to-lifers continuously struggled with the gap between his words and deeds. They also had a fraught relationship with the broader Republican Party. This book charts the political education of right-to-lifers, offering insights into social movement activism and conservatism in the late twentieth century.

Show moreShow less