IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/scandj/v127y2025i4p880-911.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can policies affect preferences? Evidence from random variation in abortion jurisprudence

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel L. Chen
  • Vardges Levonyan
  • Susan Yeh

Abstract

Turning to the courts to vindicate rights has often led to resistance and subsequent acceptance. This paper investigates the effects of randomly assigned judges on abortion cases on subsequent legislative actions and shifts in public attitudes in the United States from 1971 to 2004. By examining comprehensive data from appellate and district abortion cases, our analysis reveals three primary findings. First, verdicts in abortion cases are significantly influenced by the judges' biographies. Second, precedents that oppose abortion tend to stimulate legislative actions aimed at restricting access to abortion services. Third, public opinion exhibits a temporary shift against legalized abortion following pro‐abortion rulings, particularly in the context of elective abortions. These shifts suggest a pattern of initial resistance followed by gradual acceptance. In general terms, these results contribute towards identifying the origin of norms as a function of judicial decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel L. Chen & Vardges Levonyan & Susan Yeh, 2025. "Can policies affect preferences? Evidence from random variation in abortion jurisprudence," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 127(4), pages 880-911, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:127:y:2025:i:4:p:880-911
    DOI: 10.1111/sjoe.12586
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/sjoe.12586
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/sjoe.12586?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:127:y:2025:i:4:p:880-911. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-9442 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.