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Do Restrictions Beget Responsibility? The Case of U.S. Abortion Legislation

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  • Amanda J. Felkey
  • Kristina M. Lybecker

Abstract

Over the past decade, more than 25 U.S. states enacted legislation surrounding abortions. By analyzing state abortion legislation and proxying how the cost of obtaining an abortion varies across states, this study assesses the implications of legislative changes on women’s contraceptive choices. Examining women by race/ethnicity, income, age, and religious affiliation, the results show that women respond to increased restrictions on abortion availability and cost but that the effects are very small. This study demonstrates that legislation restricting women’s access to abortions fails to promote greater use of more effective contraceptive methods, increasing the likelihood of unwanted births and illegal abortion procedures. JEL Classifications : D1, D81, I18, J13

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda J. Felkey & Kristina M. Lybecker, 2018. "Do Restrictions Beget Responsibility? The Case of U.S. Abortion Legislation," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 63(1), pages 59-70, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:amerec:v:63:y:2018:i:1:p:59-70
    DOI: 10.1177/0569434517692972
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert W. Brown & R. Todd Jewell & Jeffrey J. Rous, 2001. "Provider Availability, Race, and Abortion Demand," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 67(3), pages 656-671, January.
    2. Grant Miller & Christine Valente, 2016. "Population Policy: Abortion and Modern Contraception Are Substitutes," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(4), pages 979-1009, August.
    3. Averett, S.L. & Rees, D.I. & Argys, L.M., 2002. "The impact of government policies and neighborhood characteristics on teenage sexual activity and contraceptive use," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(11), pages 1773-1778.
    4. Marshall Medoff, 2015. "The Impact of Antiabortion Criminal Activities and State Abortion Policies on Abortion Providers in the United States," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 570-580, December.
    5. Levine, Phillip B., 2003. "Parental involvement laws and fertility behavior," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 861-878, September.
    6. Grant Miller and Christine Valente, 2016. "Population Policy: Abortion and Modern Contraception are Substitutes - Working Paper 426," Working Papers 426, Center for Global Development.
    7. Sabia, Joseph J. & Anderson, D. Mark, 2016. "The effect of parental involvement laws on teen birth control use," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 55-62.
    8. Bisakha Sen, 2006. "Frequency Of Sexual Activity Among Unmarried Adolescent Girls: Do State Policies Pertaining To Abortion Access Matter?," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 32(2), pages 313-330, Spring.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    birth control; contraception; abortion legislation; unwanted births; contraceptive choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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