Publisher's Synopsis
The Supreme Court's 1989 ruling in Webster vs Reproductive Health Services moved the abortion debate in the USA back to the state level, giving interest groups a new opportunity to push for redefinitions of legal access to abortion. One powerful group, the Catholic Church, has played an active role in the post-Webster era, and the Church hierarchy has mobilized to facilitate the passage of more restrictive abortion laws, and encourage the election of anti-abortion candidates to state-level political office. With a representative sample of state case studies, this volume sheds light on the internal workings and political activities of the Catholic Church and on the choices and strategies available to state-level political leaders as they respond to the Supreme Court's evolving doctrine on the constitutional right to abortion.
