Reproductive Rights, State Ballot Measures, and Voter Turnout
Open Access DepositedIn this dissertation, I develop a theoretical framework based on existing literature of how interest groups strategize, organize, and actions they take to advance or defeat state ballot measures in the U.S..The framework includes ways in which interest groups seek to persuade the public, frames they use, and strategies for advancing their interests.Given that abortion is seen by many as a morality policy and, therefore, often strikes a moral chord with constituents that is different from other policy ballot measures, I examined interest groups behavior when abortion is on the ballot. In the research, I employed a mixed methods approach to examine how reproductive rights interest groups’ strategies, organizations, and activities differ from those used in other ballot issues. I answer three research questions
(1) To what extent did the presence of state ballot measures regarding abortion or reproductive rights between 2016 and 2024 affect voter turnout? (2) In what ways, if any, did interest group strategies, organization, and activities to add measures to ballots and promote passage of ballot measures regarding abortion or reproductive rights differ from more traditional strategies employed to add measures to ballots and promote passage of state ballot measures? (3) How did interest group strategies, organization, and activities to add measures to ballots and promote passage of ballot measures expanding/protecting abortion or reproductive rights vary pre and post the Dobbs decision? I describe the background of abortion as a ballot issue in the United States, review relevant literature, ground my research questions, discuss results from both quantitative and qualitative findings, and propose areas of future study. My findings include a quantitative analysis of voter turnout and a qualitative analysis of interest group strategies, organization, and actions throughout the entire ballot measure campaign process from conception to finalization. The contributions of my dissertation project are twofold. First, I show how voter turnout varied between 2016 and 2024 when there was a reproductive rights measure on the ballot, finding that overall and female voter turnout increased when an abortion or reproductive rights measure was on the ballot after the Dobbs decision. And second, I describe how the actions of reproductive rights interest groups differed from those of non-morality policy interest groups actions undertaken to advance state ballot measures. Ultimately, while I found many similarities between reproductive rights interest groups’ and non-morality policy interest groups’ strategies, organization, and activities, speaking with reproductive rights advocates in five states shed light into how reproductive rights interest groups operate and influences on them.
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