Religion, Racial Resentment, and Abortion Attitudes Study

Author: North Carolina State University
Published: 10 Feb 2023 - Updated: 19 Sep 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Research, Study, Analysis

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This study explores how religious affiliation and racial attitudes influence personal views on abortion, highlighting complex intersections between moral beliefs, cultural identity, and political stance. It presents findings that suggest individuals who hold more conservative or exclusionary views on race are more likely to oppose abortion, especially when paired with strong religious convictions. This information is particularly useful in understanding the broader social dynamics that affect reproductive rights debates, especially for communities that face systemic discrimination, including seniors and people with disabilities, who may experience added challenges in accessing reproductive healthcare. The article sheds light on how identity-based biases can subtly shape public opinion and policy, making it a valuable resource for advocates, researchers, and policymakers aiming for inclusive reproductive justice.*

At a Glance

• 1 - No link between racial resentment and abortion attitudes appeared in ANES data from 2000 through 2008.
• 2 - The study used two nationally representative 2020 surveys, the American National Election Study and the PRRI American Values Survey.
• 3 - Conservative Republicans with low racial resentment scores were far more likely to support abortion rights than other conservative Republicans.
• 4 - Higher racial resentment scores reflect less belief in systemic racism and the legacy of slavery, and they were strongly associated with wanting abortion to be illegal.

Topic Definition

Racial Resentment

Racial resentment is a standardized survey measure that political scientists use to gauge attitudes toward Black Americans. Rather than asking about race in openly hostile terms, the scale asks people to agree or disagree with statements about work ethic, government help, and whether past discrimination still holds Black Americans back. People who score high tend to reject the idea that systemic racism and the legacy of slavery shape present-day inequality, and they are more likely to believe that Black Americans get more than they deserve. First developed in the 1980s and used for decades in the American National Election Study, the measure has become one of the most common tools for studying how racial attitudes influence views on issues that seem unrelated to race, from welfare and crime policy to, as this research shows, abortion rights.

Overview

How Religion and Race Shape Abortion Opinions

Abortion, Religion, and Racial Resentment: Unpacking the Underpinnings of Contemporary Abortion Attitudes - Social Science Quarterly

A new study finds that public attitudes about abortion are closely tied to religious beliefs and race attitudes. The study provides the first empirical evidence of the strong relationship between racial attitudes and beliefs about abortion rights and finds that this relationship has grown stronger in recent years.

"There's been plenty of historical analysis of the relationship between the pro-life movement and racial attitudes, but this is the first effort to demonstrate the clear, empirical relationship between racial attitudes and abortion attitudes," says Steven Green, co-author of the study and a professor of political science at North Carolina State University. "And we found that the strength of this relationship has increased considerably in the past decade."

In other words, the researchers found that scoring highly on racial resentment is strongly associated with believing that abortion should be illegal. By the same token, people who had low scores on racial resentment were much less likely to believe abortion should be illegal.

Racial resentment is a well-established, standardized scale that is used to measure attitudes toward Black people in the United States. The higher the score on the racial resentment scale, the less an individual believes in systemic racism and the legacy of slavery.

"Some have argued that evangelicals oppose abortion not simply because of their views on the sanctity of life, but due to racial resentment against government policies and other cultural shifts related to a broader movement towards greater racial equality," Greene says. "We wanted to explore this possible relationship, as it has only become more important to understand these attitudes in the wake of the Dobbs decision."

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that abortion is not a constitutional right, allowing states to impose restrictions on abortion and access to related medical care.

For this study, researchers drew on data from two nationally representative surveys conducted in 2020: the American National Election Study (ANES) and the Public Religion Research Institute American Values Survey. Both surveys asked respondents questions related to their attitudes about abortion, racial resentment and religious beliefs, in addition to other demographic and political information.

"One of the things that really stood out to us was that the relationship between racial resentment and abortion attitudes was remarkably strong regardless of an individual's partisan affiliation and political beliefs," Greene says. "For example, conservative Republicans who had low racial resentment scores were substantially more likely to support abortion rights than their fellow conservative Republicans."

To get a handle on how the relationship between racial resentment and abortion attitudes has changed over time, the researchers looked at ANES survey data from 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, as well as the 2020 data.

From 2000 through 2008, the researchers found no statistically significant relationship between racial resentment and abortion rights attitudes. The relationship first showed up in 2012, and grew significantly stronger through 2016 and 2020.

"Ultimately, we found that religious beliefs are absolutely a factor in whether people think abortion should be legal," Greene says. "However, the evidence strongly suggests that racial attitudes are also closely tied to how people view abortion."

"In essence, the data tell us that beliefs about abortion rights are closely tied to beliefs about racial justice issues," Greene says. "Understanding this relationship offers a lens through which to view the ongoing political debates about these issues both on the national stage and in state legislatures across the country."

"It will be fascinating to see how the relationship between racial attitudes, religion and abortion continues to evolve in the post-Dobbs era," says Laurel Elder, corresponding author of the paper and professor of political science at Hartwick College. "This is one of the things we hope to explore in our current book project, Public Opinion on Abortion in Post-Roe America."

The paper, "Abortion, religion, and racial resentment: Unpacking the underpinnings of contemporary abortion attitudes," is published in Social Science Quarterly. The paper was co-authored by Melissa Deckman of the Public Religion Research Institute and by Mary-Kate Lizotte of Augusta University.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What is the Social Science Quarterly?

Social Science Quarterly is a peer reviewed academic journal that has been published since 1920. It covers research across political science, sociology, economics, and related fields, with a focus on work that speaks to broad social questions.

How is racial resentment measured in surveys?

Researchers usually ask respondents to rate their agreement with four standard statements about Black Americans, work ethic, past discrimination, and government help. The answers are combined into a single score, with higher scores showing greater racial resentment.

What is the American National Election Study?

The American National Election Study is a long running academic survey of U.S. voters that began in 1948. It is funded largely by the National Science Foundation and is one of the most widely used sources of data on public opinion and voting behavior.

What is the Public Religion Research Institute?

The Public Religion Research Institute is a nonpartisan research organization based in Washington, D.C. It conducts large national surveys on religion, culture, and public policy, including its yearly American Values Survey.

Does a link between racial attitudes and abortion views mean one causes the other?

No. Survey research like this shows a strong association between the two, but it cannot prove that racial resentment directly causes opposition to abortion. Other shared beliefs, identities, or political influences may help explain the connection.

How did the Dobbs decision change abortion access in the United States?

The 2022 Dobbs ruling overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion regulation to the states. Since then, a number of states have banned or sharply limited abortion, while others have passed laws to protect access.

How do abortion restrictions affect people with disabilities?

Disabled people can face added barriers such as travel limits, inaccessible clinics, higher health risks during pregnancy, and financial strain. When nearby services close, those barriers often make getting timely reproductive care much harder.

What is reproductive justice?

Reproductive justice is a framework developed by Black women activists in 1994. It holds that every person has the right to have children, not have children, and raise children in safe and sustainable communities, linking reproductive rights with racial and economic justice.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: The relationship between religion, race, and abortion opinions reveals how deeply personal belief systems influence public health policy. As reproductive rights remain under pressure in many regions, understanding these connections is crucial. The findings underscore the profound ways in which societal views on race and religion shape public opinion on abortion, offering a compelling lens through which to examine the evolving cultural and political landscape. As debates intensify in the post-Dobbs era, understanding these intersections is crucial for fostering informed discussions that consider the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of all communities.*

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by North Carolina State University and published on 10 Feb 2023, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.