Description:
Perspectives on the Politics of Abortion examines the abortion issue from ethical, empirical, and legal angles and offers some rather unconventional analyses and surprising conclusions with regard to this familiar issue. One chapter argues that the emphasis on rights has made illegal and occasionally violent activity on the part of pro-life activists increasingly likely. Another chapter suggests that abortion is an instance of the more general right to self-defense. A chapter considers the problem of abortion from the standpoint of participants in the political process. And chapters examine the political tactics of the Roman Catholic Church and abortion rights in terms of constitutional due process. This important volume adds new voices and perspectives to the abortion debate.
Brief description: TED G. JELEN is Professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. His main research interests are in the political mobilization of religious belief, the politics of abortion, and public attitudes toward feminist issues. His work has appeared in a number of scholarly journals and books.