God, Country, and Control: Strong White Christian Nationalist Beliefs Linked to Supporting Arrests for Abortions

Overview

Paper Summary › Explain Like I'm Five › Conflicts of Interest › Identified Limitations › Rating Explanation › Good to know › Topic Hierarchy › File Information ›

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title

In a nationally representative survey, Americans who strongly endorsed Christian nationalism and White nationalism were more likely to support arresting women who have abortions, even after controlling for anti-abortion views. This suggests that support for punishment stems from a broader desire to enforce a specific ethnocultural social order.

Explain Like I'm Five

People who strongly identify as White Christians are more likely to support arresting women who have abortions. This suggests that support for punishment is less about opposing abortion and more about enforcing a specific social order where Whiteness and Christianity are dominant.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Limitations

Social Desirability Bias

The study relies on self-reported data, which can be subject to social desirability bias, particularly with sensitive topics like abortion, religion, and race. This could affect the accuracy of the findings.

Cross-sectional Data

The cross-sectional nature of the data limits the ability to draw causal conclusions. While the study shows an association between Christian nationalism, White nationalism, and support for arresting women who have abortions, it cannot definitively establish a causal link.

Single-item Measure

The study relies on a single-item measure to assess support for arresting women who have abortions. Using multiple items and different question wording would strengthen the validity of this measure and provide a more nuanced understanding of people's opinions on this issue.

Lack of state-level context

Although the sample is nationally representative, the study does not account for potential differences in state-level abortion laws and enforcement. This context could influence people's attitudes and behavior toward abortion.

Rating Explanation

This study uses a large nationally representative dataset and robust statistical methods to examine a timely and relevant issue. While there are limitations due to cross-sectional design, single item measures, and self-reported data which limit drawing causal conclusions, these do not detract substantially from the overall strength of the research.

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Social Sciences

Field: Social Sciences

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

File Information

Original Title: Anti-Abortion and Pro-Coercion: White Christian Nationalism and Support for Arresting Women Who Have Abortions

Uploaded: August 09, 2025 at 08:48 PM

Privacy: Public