Deconstructing Dobbs: An Introduction to the Special Issue

ABSTRACT

When the US Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade (1973) in late June 2022, it created legal, political, and practical chaos in the US, as abortion – previously a fundamental right under the US Constitution – was now under state jurisdiction. In this special issue, we cover a range of theoretical and practical implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision and the stratification of reproductive freedoms across the US. We ask the important questions of: how did we get here, who bears the burdens of the Dobbs decision, and what complications will likely occur in the future because of this decision? Our contributors come from interdisciplinary fields which illustrate the wide ranging the implications of this opinion. We show how these pieces add significantly to the growing scholarly conversations focused on the political, legal, and social significance of the fall of Roe v. Wade.

KEYWORDS:

• Abortion
• reproductive rights
• abortion policy
• abortion law

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank everyone involved with the creation of this special issue. It was our pleasure to work with such a diverse group of researchers and scholars, who all share our passion for the subject of reproductive freedoms.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. See NBC poll from June 2023: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23856891–230169-nbc-june-2023-poll_622-abortion-poll-release

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amanda Roberti

Amanda Roberti is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at San Francisco State University where she teaches courses in the areas of: women and politics; reproductive politics; social movements; gender, public policy, and law; and, American politics. A graduate of the Rutgers Women and Politics program, her research on the rhetoric of antiabortion policymakers, and the role of conservative women in abortion politics has been published in the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy, and Politics, Groups and Identities.

Wendy Wright

Wendy Wright is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, Legal, and Urban Studies at William Paterson University of New Jersey. She teaches courses in Legal Studies, Women’s & Gender Studies, and in the graduate program in Public Policy. Her research focuses on using critical theory to interpret and critique contemporary law and policy, especially in relation to criminal justice institutions. She has published in Social Justice, New Political Science, and chapters in several books.