STATE ABORTION FUNDING POLICIES IN 1990

The American states have broad discretion in developing their respecti ve abortion policies. This paper examines the determinants of 1990 sta te policies toward funding abortion for low income women and analyzes differences in the outputs of these state policies. Our findings show that the strength of advocacy groups as well as the political forces w ithin a state determine the type of abortion funding policy. Once the policy is established, the number of publicly funded abortions is dete rmined by the type of state policy adopted as well as the demand for t hese services. The results of this analysis should be informative for the future of abortion politics in the American states.