The Abortion Policy-Making Process in the U.S. States from 2000 to 2019

In this study, we found out which political factors can influence the legislative activity of actors in the field of abortion regulation in the US states. Based on the use of the negative binomial regression method, we determined that the legislative activity of actors in the field of abortion regulation is strategic and is determined by a combination of political and social factors. Abortion agenda-setting is determined by the focus of actors on the position of the majority party in the legislature or the potential support of other actors, which may restrain or strengthen their legislative activity. The attention of policy makers to the problem of abortion is also determined by their party and gender affiliation. Thus, in our empirical analysis, we found support for provisions of the theory of critical masses that among women democrats and women republicans there is a formed collective agenda on the regulation of abortion.