This work is a balanced presentation of the pro-life/pro-choice controversy, showing all aspects of the debate and why it is so difficult to resolve. Abortion in the United States: A Reference Handbook offers a balanced, objective look at the ultimate "wedge" issue in American culture. This volume offers a revealing history of abortion politics and policy from the 1800s to Roe v. Wade to the present, with clear analyses of disputes such as public funding for abortion, the status of the fetus, contraception, abortion as a "litmus test" for candidates and judicial nominees, and more. A separate chapter looks at abortion politics throughout the world and places the United States in a global context. Biographies of major players, extensive data and documents, and a bibliography of important resources make this an essential resource on one of the most controversial topics in our national dialog.

Women's Rights in the USA is a rigorous examination of the intersection of gender roles and public policy and the implications for feminist activists. The book places full information on state and federal statutes and court decisions in the context of the ebb and flow of debates that have engaged the public since the founding of the Republic. This fifth edition includes updates on all topics and expanded attention to same-sex marriage and lesbian issues, pay equity, conservative trends in courts, and women in elective politics. This text is a resource for the inquiry into women's rights politics and policies. It is a record of the changes in the major areas affecting gender roles and the status of women: constitutional law, political participation, reproduction, family law, education, work and pay, work and family, sexuality and economic status. It is more than a recital of laws, statutes and court decisions. The chapters focus on the development of the changes in debates over these issues and how the debates produce laws and provide the environment for their administration and interpretation. It also highlights the role, and impact, of feminists in the debates.

Women's Rights in the USA is a rigorous examination of the intersection of gender roles and public policy and the implications for feminist activists. The book places full information on state and federal statutes and court decisions in the context of the ebb and flow of debates that have engaged the public since the founding of the Republic. This fifth edition includes updates on all topics and expanded attention to same-sex marriage and lesbian issues, pay equity, conservative trends in courts, and women in elective politics. This text is a resource for the inquiry into women's rights politics and policies. It is a record of the changes in the major areas affecting gender roles and the status of women: constitutional law, political participation, reproduction, family law, education, work and pay, work and family, sexuality and economic status. It is more than a recital of laws, statutes and court decisions. The chapters focus on the development of the changes in debates over these issues and how the debates produce laws and provide the environment for their administration and interpretation. It also highlights the role, and impact, of feminists in the debates.

Distinctive in its use of two disciplinary lenses-sociology and political science-Abortion in the United States provides a balanced scholarly analysis of the most salient issues in the pro-life/pro-choice debate. According to the CDC, more than 660,000 legal abortions were performed in the United States in 2013, yet despite these numbers, or perhaps because of them, the abortion war rages on in state legislatures, in Congress, and in court rooms. This work offers an eye-opening look at the enduring cultural clash between reproductive rights activists, who have argued that access to safe, legal abortion is critical for ensuring women's equality, and impassioned activists seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, who fervently believe that abortion is unethical. Written for high school and college students as well as for general audiences seeking to better understand opposing viewpoints, it gives readers essential background information and addresses persistent questions regarding the abortion debate. The new Perspectives chapter features the compelling voices of those engaged in the front lines of this battle alongside those of scholars from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Notable activists and leading advocacy groups are profiled, followed by the latest data on abortion rates and public opinion. Carefully curated documents and recommended news outlets, websites, documentaries, and academic readings invite continued exploration. Traces the continually shifting landscape of public opinion, spotlighting millennial and male perspectives and the factors that shape abortion beliefs Offers an intersectional analysis of restricted access to abortion, paying particular attention to the sociodemographic characteristics of women who have abortions and the lived experiences of making pregnancy decisions amidst the political controversy Accentuates the role that institutions including schools, pharmacies, the military, prisons, and immigration detention facilities play in determining women's reproductive decisions Features an analysis of movement-countermovement dynamics and relies on scientific evidence to investigate contested claims over emergency contraception, late-term abortions, and the safety of the abortion procedure and its psychological outcomes

"The Politics of State Feminisma"addresses essential questions of women's movement activism and political change in western democracies. The authorsOCotop gender and politics scholarsOCoprovide a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of government agencies and women's movements regarding womenOCOs policy issuesOCoif, how, and why they form a kind of state feminism.

The central research questions are examined across five issue areas in thirteen postindustrial democracies in Europe and North America from the 1960s through the early 2000s. The authors explore a range of topics drawn from contemporary theory, interactions between descriptive and substantive representation, and the place of institutions in democratic change.

Using the innovative qualitative and quantitative methods employed by the Research Network on Gender Politics and the State, the authors have developed a new body of theories about the role of state feminism and how it can help further womenOCOs rights.