Abortion & Reproductive Issues
Our Corner | PRRI on the Air at State of Belief
[03.19.2012]This past weekend our CEO, Dr. Robert P. Jones was interviewed on State of Belief Radio with Rev. Welton C. Gaddy. They discussed PRRI’s most recent survey on American attitudes about the state of religious liberty in America and the contraception debate. During the interview, he noted that most Americans (including Catholics) do not believe their religious liberty is under attack in the U.S. He also noted that among Americans who… more
New PRRI/RNS Poll: Religious Liberty and the Contraception Mandate Debate
[03.15.2012]In our February Religion & Politics Tracking Survey, we found that a majority (55%) of Americans agree that employers should be required to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception and birth control at no cost. Probing deeper into Americans’ feelings on this issue, we asked in our March PRRI/RNS Religious News Survey about what types of employers should be required to provide contraception coverage to their employees at no cost…. more
PRRI Survey used by PolitiFact to Check Political Leader
[03.14.2012]As the contraception debate rages on, political and religious leaders are relying on surveys to support claims about where the public is on the issue. PRRI’s February Religion and Politics Tracking Poll continues to be used not only to inform the debate but also to fact-check political leaders. A recent PolitiFact article reviewed claims made by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) that most Americans, including himself, agree that the federal mandate for… more
Why Mississippi’s Voters Rejected the “Personhood” Amendment
[11.09.2011]Yesterday, Mississippi voters decisively rejected a ballot initiative that would have redefined the legal meaning of “personhood” to categorize fertilized eggs as people. Although polls leading up to the election showed that support for the amendment was even split, the resounding defeat of the measure has been attributed to publicly- aired doubts, on both the left and the right, about whether the initiative was too vague and far-reaching in its… more
Why Pro-Life Americans May Not Support the Mississippi “Personhood” Amendment
[11.07.2011]Tomorrow, Mississippi voters will decide whether to impose a set of far-reaching regulations on abortion and birth control, when they vote on Initiative 26, an amendment to the Mississippi constitution that would redefine “person” to include “every human being from the moment of fertilization.” If passed, Initiative 26 would make abortion illegal, including for women who are victims of rape and incest, or when the mother’s life is in danger…. more
Herman Cain’s New Position on Abortion May Not Resonate With His Base
[11.01.2011]Herman Cain, who recently found himself the target of criticism from social conservatives for espousing conflicting sentiments about abortion, clarified his position this weekend, saying that he is “pro-life from conception, period.” He added that he opposes abortion even after rape or incest or when a woman’s life is at risk, contradicting previous statements in which he allowed for exceptions in these circumstances. While Cain was being painted as pro-choice,… more
Herman Cain on Abortion: Pro-Life, Pro-Choice or Both?
[10.21.2011]Earlier this week, Herman Cain thoroughly mystified bloggers and pundits alike when, during an interview with Piers Morgan of CNN, he said that if a woman became pregnant as a result of rape, the situation “ultimately gets down to a choice that that family or that mother has to make.” When asked to clarify his remarks, Cain immediately found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. His aversion… more