About this episode
This episode explores how abortion became a polarizing political issue in the United States.
Even in the years after Roe vs. Wade, the issue of abortion did not divide the political parties — or most Americans. But as Reagan, the New Right, and the Christian Right took control in the Republican Party, they saw its potential to galvanize voters. In this bonus episode, legal historian Mary Ziegler joins Landslide host Ben Bradford to trace how abortion transformed from a muted sectarian issue with blurry, sometimes bizarre battle lines into today's explosive, polarizing wedge issue. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below: See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
People in this episode
Host: Ben Bradford
Guest: Mary Ziegler
Topics covered
- abortion
- politics
- partisanship
- history
- voter mobilization
- legal history
Keywords
- abortion
- political parties
- Roe vs. Wade
- Republican Party
- New Right
- Christian Right
- voter galvanization
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NPR, Republican Party, New Right, Christian Right
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