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US Presidential Party Switches Are Mirrored in Global Maternal Mortality

Author

Listed:
  • Bhalotra, Sonia R.

    (University of Warwick)

  • Clarke, Damian

    (University of Chile)

  • Mühlrad, Hanna

    (Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy (IFAU))

  • Fernandez Sierra, Manuel

    (Universidad de los Andes)

Abstract

The Global Gag Rule is a pro-life policy that prohibits aid to overseas non-governmental organisations offering abortion-related information or services. Since first implemented by President Reagan in 1984, it has been enacted under every Republican and revoked under every Democrat. It was tightened under President Trump and rescinded under President Biden. Using data for 1985-2019, we demonstrate that aid for family planning has been 48% higher under Democratic presidential regimes. We estimate that a switch from Democratic to Republican party, for an aid-receiving country with above-median reliance on US family planning aid, is associated with an additional 0.6 deaths per 1,000 women, an increase of 8%. This erodes a fifth of the average worldwide decline in maternal mortality achieved since 1990.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Clarke, Damian & Mühlrad, Hanna & Fernandez Sierra, Manuel, 2021. "US Presidential Party Switches Are Mirrored in Global Maternal Mortality," IZA Discussion Papers 14915, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14915
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. 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.
    4. Grant Miller and Christine Valente, 2016. "Population Policy: Abortion and Modern Contraception are Substitutes - Working Paper 426," Working Papers 426, Center for Global Development.
    5. Hoyt Bleakley, 2007. "Disease and Development: Evidence from Hookworm Eradication in the American South," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(1), pages 73-117.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    maternal mortality; abortion; overseas aid; US Presidential party; Global Gag Rule; Mexico City Policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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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