In the field of social policy, some topics are so complicated that they will always be subject to debate. Since no clear right or wrong exists, they are consigned to the gray areas of ongoing dispute. Among such issues open for debate both across America and in this eye-opening series are capital punishment, genetic engineering, gun control, and global warming. Others involve terrorism and chemical and biological warfare, two outright evils, though with highly disputable solutions. Open for Debate explores the past, present, and future to shed light on complex, high-priority public policy. A lucid, readily accessible format offers the pros and cons of each issue with opinions from social policy experts. It features sidebars of fascinating facts and easy-to-understand diagrams of key statistics. Open for Debate introduces future public policy thinkers to both sides of twenty-first-century, life-and-death concerns.

Should abortion be legal? How late in a pregnancy should a woman be allowed to have an abortion? What impact would outlawing abortion have on women, especially those who live in poverty? Readers learn about these and other abortion concerns; all sides of the debate are discussed to help them form their own opinions. Informative charts and in-depth sidebars highlight important facts about this controversial topic, and a list of discussion questions is included to give them a starting point for further debate and guided thinking about this complex issue.

This work is a balanced presentation of the pro-life/pro-choice controversy, showing all aspects of the debate and why it is so difficult to resolve. Abortion in the United States: A Reference Handbook offers a balanced, objective look at the ultimate "wedge" issue in American culture. This volume offers a revealing history of abortion politics and policy from the 1800s to Roe v. Wade to the present, with clear analyses of disputes such as public funding for abortion, the status of the fetus, contraception, abortion as a "litmus test" for candidates and judicial nominees, and more. A separate chapter looks at abortion politics throughout the world and places the United States in a global context. Biographies of major players, extensive data and documents, and a bibliography of important resources make this an essential resource on one of the most controversial topics in our national dialog.

Chronicles the incidence of abortion in nineteenthand twentieth-century America and the causes and processes of the profound social change which resulted, by 1900, in the nearly universal legal proscription of abortion.

While there are some Americans who are inclined to evaluate the moral, ethical, and medical legitimacy of abortion on a case-by-case basis, many others are strictly, unwaveringly pro-choice (favoring abortion rights) or pro-life (antiabortion). Over the last few decades, whether abortions should be legal at all—under any circumstances—has created a deep political rift across the United States. This book, which charts the shifts in interpretation of the U.S. Constitution on this matter, is a must-read for anyone hoping to understand where the nation and its laws have stood on the issue, its current state of play, and what the future of the abortion rights vs. right to life struggle may hold.

The issue of abortion has sharply divided America. The bitter debate over Roe v. Wade - in the courts, legislatures, press and streets - has grown ever more ferocious since the Supreme Court's landmark decision in 1973. For years pro-choicers have applauded Roe as a guarantee of women's rights, while pro-lifers have condemned it as the work of an activist and atheistic Court. Now it looms at the centre of a growing political storm, as a new president, and old Court, and a divided Congress reconsider Roe's status in the wake of the controversial 2000 elections.