A review of national polls shows that a majority of Americans support keeping abortion rights, even if they are labeled as pro-choice or pro-life.
There is a pro- and anti- abortion rights rally in Washington, DC.
The images are from the same company.
Gallup polls show Americans support for abortion in all or most cases at 80% in May, which is sightly higher than in 1975, but still less than in 1995.
In May, the share of Americans who said abortion is morally acceptable reached a record high of 45%, up from a low of 36% in 2009, and in September, the share of Americans who said abortion is legal in all or most cases reached a near-record high of 63%.
A November Quinnipiac poll found that 63% of people agree with the Supreme Court's decision in the abortion case, and a November Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 60% of people want the court to overturn it.
An Associated Press/NORC poll in June found that 85% of people support abortion when the woman's life is in danger, and 80% of people support abortion if the child is born with a life-threatening condition.
When abortion support drops, only 34% of people think abortion should be legal in the second and third trimesters, and only 19% think it should be legal in the first.
Democrats are more likely to support abortion rights than Republicans, with a September study showing that only 39% of Republicans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
White evangelical Protestants are the only group of Americans who believe abortion should be illegal.
Women are slightly more likely to support abortion than men, but the gender split isn't as big as you might think.
Asian Americans are the most supportive of abortion being legal, with a majority of them believing it should be legal.
The poll found that support for abortion was highest among those ages 18 to 29 and lowest among those 30 to 49.
The Post/ABC poll found a correlation between the number of college graduates who want it legalized and the number of people with a high school education or less.
A September All In Together poll found that 42% of parents with children in their house opposed the Texas near-total abortion ban, compared to 54.9% without kids.
The Post/ABC found that urban residents are more likely to support abortion rights than those in the Midwest.
The Post/ABC poll found that support for the court to uphold the law rose with income level, with more than half of those earning less than $50,000 a year wanting the court to uphold the law.
Since 1995, the share of Americans who identify as pro-choice or pro-life has not changed. In 1995 only 39% of Americans identified as pro-choice and 42% as pro-life, but now they are all pro-choice and 47% pro-life. More respondents identified as pro-life than pro-choice in the years of 2010 and 2009, even though a plurality of Americans have always supported abortion being legal in some circumstances.
There is a structure called the Tangent.
According to a May poll by Ipsos, a majority of Americans think abortion should be allowed in some circumstances, compared to a global average of 70%. The countries with the highest support for abortion are Sweden, the Netherlands, and France.
The key background.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that the federal right to an abortion was guaranteed. The court ruled in Whole Woman's Health that states cannot impose abortion restrictions that impose an "undue burden" on the procedure. The Guttmacher Institute reports that since 1973, when the Supreme Court decided on abortion, more than 1,300 abortion restrictions have been imposed by states. The Supreme Court decided to take up a challenge to Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban, which threatens the viability of the case. The strictest restrictions on abortion in the U.S. have been imposed by Texas.
What to watch for.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in its Mississippi case on Wednesday, with a ruling likely coming several months later, before the court's term ends in June. The case will look at whether abortions can be restricted before the fetus is viable, and Mississippi has asked the court to overturn the decision. The court is considering whether to allow two lawsuits challenging the law to move forward in the lower courts, or if it should issue an injunction that would block the law.
Public opinion on abortion.
Polling on abortion.
Americans have increased their support for abortion following the Texas ban.
A majority of Americans support abortion, but it's not until the baby is born.
A majority of Americans want the Supreme Court to reject Texas abortion law.
A debate about abortion is motivating voters to vote.
