Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 6 months, you likely know that we have an important presidential election coming up on Tuesday, November 3rd. We are constantly being inundated with political ads and told about the important issues. But with all the noise, it can be difficult to understand what is truly at stake.
So, what’s really at stake for all of us this November? Here are just a few things:
Reproductive Health Care
Another issue that Republicans have been relentless about is to make abortion illegal across the board in the United States. Despite what you might think based on the political rhetoric, the majority of Americans actually support the decision in Roe v. Wade. In fact, 61% of Americans say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Regardless, there is legislation introduced seemingly everyday that seeks to restrict abortion access and reproductive rights overall. Many of these bills are already being challenged and are set to be heard by the Supreme Court any day. I will discuss what is at stake when it comes to the Supreme Court further down in this piece, but we need politicians that will protect reproductive health and access.
A number of studies have established connections between abortion access and economic outcomes. And it seems like common sense; if you have control over your reproduction, you will have more control over and access to financial security. This paper from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research outlines the ways that reproductive rights influences educational attainment, workforce participation, and more.
