Reversing Roe - A Case Study of Institutional Change of Abortion Rights in the United States

Abstract: Building on historical institutionalism, this paper explores gradual institutional change. As previous research on institutional change has focused on shifts towards gender equality, there is less known about gender-inequitable changes. The reversal of abortion rights in the United States by overturning Roe v. Wade (1973) demonstrates the need to study gender-inequitable changes. By being attentive to the characteristics of the U.S. government and legislative system when looking at this historical process, this paper seeks to contribute to our knowledge of how this reform of abortion rights has come about. This theoretical perspective facilitates the exploration of the institutional context by analyzing what kinds of strategies and behaviors by actors have been successful and what have failed. The actors seeking to challenge existing rules have been forced to adjust their strategies in the different phases of this process to achieve their long-term goal of reversing abortion rights.