For more than a decade, the annual Marist poll on abortion has found that the overwhelming majority of Americans – usually three-quarters or more – want abortion restricted to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy.Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, this annual survey has also highlighted the following fact: Using polling questions that measure the labels Americans choose for themselves – such as pro-choice – will not actually reveal what they want in terms of abortion policy. While the majority of those who identify as pro-life can reliably be expected to support restrictions on abortion, so can most of those who identify as pro-choice.In some years, including this one, more Americans may identify as pro-choice than pro-life, but more than six in 10 of those who say they are pro-choice (61 percent) join the three-quarters of all Americans in wanting abortion restricted to – again, at most – the first trimester. So do about six in 10 Democrats (59 percent), eight in 10 independents (78 percent) and nine in 10 Republicans (92 percent).By giving the American people greater choice in the questions the Marist poll asks, and by asking about policy options rather than focusing on the labels, this survey has been able to build a more accurate measure of what they really want on abortion policy.
Source: Poll Shows Most Americans Favor Limits on Abortion | RealClearPolitics
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