Left-right differences in abortion policy support in America: Clarifying the role of sex and sexism in a nationally representative 2016 sample

Abortion is a contentious political issue in the U.S, with those on the political right (vs. left) more opposed to pro-abortion policies. Past research has demonstrated that the left-right divide in abortion support is in part explained by endorsement of sexist beliefs. Although informative, the generalizability of past findings is limited due to (unknown) sample representativeness and sampling procedure. Using the 2016 ANES U.S. nationally representative dataset (N = 3264), we tested the sexism-as-mediator of the left-right divide in abortion support hypothesis. We replicated previous findings, but the indirect effect of sexism was smaller than previously observed. Employing a multiple-groups analysis, we then examined whether the strength and direction of paths differed systematically by sex. Consistent with System Justification Theory (Jost & Banaji, 1994), no sex differences emerged: Conservatism predicted lower support for abortion, in part through sexism, equally for men and women. Consistent with the highly polarized state of American politics, ideology emerged as a very relevant predictor of abortion support, trumping even group membership and self-interest.