Introduction

Abstract

This book offers a political, ideological, and social history of the national right-to-life movement under President Ronald Reagan. It explores anti-abortion activism and engagement with the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, and offers what is frequently a narrative of disappointment and factionalism. It is driven by a desire to understand why most of the movement against abortion stayed loyal to the Republican Party in the 1980s and beyond. This chapter outlines the empirical basis for the analysis, the core concerns and historiographical interventions, and summarizes the rest of the chapters. It ends by exploring questions of unity, morality, and success, three themes that link the specific case studies and raise insights into activism, social movement formation, religion, and politics.