Presentation Abstract

Student's Name: Jalliyah Gonzalez '26; Kennedy Morris '27

Co-registrant Names:

Type of Presentation: Research Presentation: One or more registrants presenting research

Presentation Title: "Individual Freedoms or Criminalization: State Variations in Restricting Gun and Abortion Rights"

Abstract:

Restrictions on access to women’s healthcare and gun rights are two of the most politically divisive legislative policies in the United States. The nexus between a state’s restrictions on abortion access and gun rights has the potential to criminalized women’s choices and leave them and their children vulnerable to lethal violence (Karmen 2021). In this presentation, we examine states’ variation in restrictions to firearms and access to abortions and their connection to political party voting strength. Initial results indicate that firearm access is strongly correlated with the political party voting strength in a state. However, state restrictions on abortion access and the strength of political party identity varies among those states with more republican party power. We explore what other state characteristics may explain this pattern. We discuss important implications from our findings for building greater political consensus on these divisive policies.

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