THE MOBILIZATION OF THE NEW RIGHT: A TEST OF VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS

In: The Western political quarterly: official journal of Western Political Science Association, Band 36, Heft 4, S. 632-449

Abstract

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 1970S, FEMINISM SEEMED TO BE ON THE RISE. IN 1972, CONGRESS PASSED THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, AND IN 1973, THE SUPREME COURT ASSERTED THAT A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO HAVE AN ABORTION WAS CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED. YET, BY THE 1980S, THIS PICTURE HAD CHANGED CONSIDERABLY AS THE FORTUNES OF THE WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT TOOK A DOWNWARD TURN. ON JUNE 30, 1982, THE DEADLINE FOR RATIFICATION OF THE E.R.A. PASSED WITHOUT IT GAINING THE REQUISITE NUMBER OF STATE VOTES. SIMILARLY, FEDERAL FINANCING OF ABORTIONS WAS SEVERELY CURTAILED IN THE LATE 1970S, AND THERE APPEARS TO BE A POSSIBILITY THAT A HUMAN LIFE AMENDMENT WILL BE PASSED SOMETIME BEFORE 1984.