Political economy of Vermont's abortion bill

Political economy of Vermont’s abortion bill¶

Explainer of Shakya et al. (2020), Applied Economics Letters. Not the journal article.

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

Facts¶

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.

One caveat¶

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

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?

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, positions of those involved, and economic interests affecting abortion policy development in Vermont.

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 policy makers and advocates, the paper shows 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.