To be certain, this poll potentially tells us a number of things; however, it cannot be said that it, in any definitive way, shows that the majority of Americans are “pro-choice.” Why is this? The simple answer—the margin of error.
Without going into an extremely technical explanation of what is a margin of error and how one calculates it, it should be pointed out that the margin of error statistic must be considered when examining any poll. A margin of error statistic is included in every poll because a polling firm cannot possibly poll every single voting-age adult in the United States. Instead, random sampling is used to obtain results close to the probable beliefs of the entire population—in this case all voting-age citizens of the United States.
Notice that near the bottom of the page on which Gallup reports its results, one finds the statement that “Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted May 5-8, 2011, with a random sample of 1,018 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.” Perhaps more importantly, Gallup reports that “For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.”
So, in layman’s terms, what is the polling jargon trying to tell us? Largely, it reports that the methodology used by Gallup should have ensured the results are accurate within four percentage points either way. In this case, the percentage of “pro-choicers” could realistically be anywhere from 45% to 53%. Similarly, the percentage of “pro-lifers” could be anywhere from 41% to 49%.
With that being said, what the Gallup poll really tells us is something we have essentially known all along—that American adults are essentially split in half when it comes to considering themselves as either “pro-choice” or “pro-life.” What is interesting is the fact that the poll actually indicates that the American people, to a large extent, agree with the principle of life.
Regardless of how an individual decided to classify himself as either “pro-choice” or “pro-life,” the poll reports that 51% agreed that abortion was morally wrong. This is compared to only 39% who believed that abortion was morally acceptable. It is important to note that, unlike the “pro-life” or “pro-choice” classification, this result lies safely outside the margin of error.
Additionally, we find that 61% of adult Americans think that abortion should be legal in only a few or no circumstances. That breakdown is 50% believing that abortion should be allow in only a few cases and 22% who agreed that it should not be legal under any circumstance. Compare that to the 37% who argue that abortion should be legal in any, or almost any, situation.
In the end, Gallup’s recent poll reports exactly the opposite from what many would seemingly have the American people believe. Instead of proving, once and for all, that Americans really support abortion, a much different result is found when closely examining the poll.
Truly, Americans today are still mostly of the opinion that abortion should be greatly restricted, extremely rare, and is, at its very core, immoral. This would lend credence to the current movement to strip abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood of its taxpayer funding. Why would Americans want their tax dollars to go to a group who basically ensures that its values are trodden under foot?
We can take a stand to ensure that American values and the principle of life are upheld in our states and country. Let’s strip all public funding for abortion providers and referrers. Since most Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong, press elected officials to stop spending our money on something most of us consider morally reprehensible. Instead, tell them to, at the very least, redirect the money to groups who are actually striving to help women make the choice for life!
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