How political institutions shape abortion law in the United States, Britain and Canada

The topic of abortion is a complex and controversial one for most contemporary societies, with the arguments around it consisting of multiple dimensions including population control, sanctity of life, freedom of choice and parental consent, to name but a few. In a recent lecture, the director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Professor Craig Calhoun, promised a provocative discussion as Drew Halfmann, University of Calfornia, argued that political institutions have been, and are, key in the development and implementation of abortion policies. In his book Doctors and Demonstrators, Drew Halfmann looks at how three countries, Britain, Canada and the United States have differed significantly in their policies on abortion despite sharing similar heritage and culture. Here we look at how gatekeeping evolved in all three countries, which actors influenced policy and the how abortion became so politicised in the US.