According to a new Gallup Poll conducted May 7-10, 51 percent of Americans now call themselves "pro-life" while only 42 percent describe themselves as "pro-choice."

This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults has identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995, the polling company said.

According to a poll report on the company's website, "The new results, obtained from Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey, represent a significant shift from a year ago, when 50 percent were pro-choice and 44 percent pro-life. Prior to now, the highest percentage identifying as pro-life was 46 percent, in both August 2001 and May 2002."

Gallup said the May 2009 survey documents "comparable changes in public views about the legality of abortion. In answer to a question providing three options for the extent to which abortion should be legal, about as many Americans now say the procedure should be illegal in all circumstances (23 percent) as say it should be legal under any circumstances (22 percent). This contrasts with the last four years, when Gallup found a strong tilt of public attitudes in favor of unrestricted abortion."

Kansas has conventional restrictions on abortion, but enforcing those laws has led to political strife in the state for years. Former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' political alliances with abortion providers Planned Parenthood and George Tiller — both of whom have come under legal scrutiny because of investigations launched by Phill Kline, a pro-life attorney general and district attorney — have made monitoring, reporting and enforcement of the state's statutes difficult.

The state Supreme Court, where the majority of justices were appointed by Sebelius, has involved itself in the investigations in various ways, including gagging a district court judge who apparently suspected Planned Parenthood of criminal activity. The court gave no reason for its action. A recent Supreme Court decision, written by Sebelius appointee Carol Beier, was couched in bitterly personal terms attacking Kline while ruling in his favor. 

According to Gallup, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center also recorded a decline since last August among those saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Support dropped from 54 percent to 46 percent.

"The percentage saying abortion should be legal in only a few or no cases increased from 41 percent to 44 percent over the same period," said Gallup. "As a result, support for the two broad positions is now about even, sharply different from most polling on this question since 1995, when the majority has typically favored legality."

Resource:

• Gallup: http://www.gallup.com/poll/118399/More-Americans-Pro-Life-Than-Pro-Choice-First-Time.aspx

The Week in Review