Political economy of Vermont's abortion bill

Political economy of Vermont’s abortion bill¶

Publication id: shakya-2020-vermont-abortion-bill
Status: verified

Citation: Shakya, S., Erfanian, E., & Scarcioffolo, A. (2020). The political economy of Vermont’s abortion bill. Applied Economics Letters. Download

Facts¶

Policy hook¶

State abortion policies reflect political economy forces balancing diverse constituencies. What political and economic factors shaped Vermont’s abortion bill, and what does this case reveal about policy formation?

Main finding¶

Analysis of Vermont’s abortion bill identifies political-economy factors and interest group dynamics that shaped abortion policy in a northeastern U.S. state.

Data and setting¶

Vermont state legislative process and policy analysis around abortion bill; applied economics letters publication.

Research design (plain language)¶

Political-economy analysis examining legislative context, stakeholder positions, and economic interests shaping abortion policy development in Vermont.

One caveat¶

Case study approach focused on single state limits generalizability to other jurisdictions with different political and economic configurations.

PDF or DOI¶

Publisher page

Why it matters¶

Abortion policy is fiercely debated, but political economy analysis—examining interest groups and political incentives—offers a different lens than purely moral or constitutional arguments. This paper’s focus on Vermont’s specific bill reveals the political dynamics of state-level abortion policy. Vermont is instructive because it’s a liberal state with strong abortion access norms, suggesting policy emerges from particular political configurations. For political scientists, the case shows how interest groups, legislative coalitions, and state-level institutional features combine to shape reproductive policy. For policymakers and advocates, the paper illuminates the political economy of feasible policy: what coalition building enabled Vermont’s policy? Could it replicate elsewhere? For comparative policy study, Vermont provides a northern state case (contrast with Southern states’ restrictions), showing that state politics, not just national conservatism/liberalism, drives abortion policy. The limitation (single case) restricts generalization, but Vermont’s relative policy stability makes it a useful reference point.