The Roe effect is a theory about the long-term effect of abortion on the political balance of the United States, which suggests that since supporters of abortion rights, cause the erosion of their own political base, the practice of abortion will eventually lead to the restriction or illegalization of abortion. The theory is named after Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively legalized abortion nationwide in the U.S. Its best-known proponent is James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal who coined the phrase "Roe effect" in Best of the Web Today, his OpinionJournal.com column. Pro-choice activists on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, to rally for abortion rights on the anniversary of Roe v. ... Holding Texas laws criminalizing abortion violated womens Fourteenth Amendment right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy. ... James Taranto (born 1966) is a Manhattan-based columnist for The Wall Street Journal and editor of its online editorial page, OpinionJournal. ... The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with an average daily circulation of 1,800,607 (2002). ... OpinionJournal. ...

Put simply, the theory states that

• Those who favor legal abortion are much more likely to get one than those who oppose it.
• Children usually follow their parents' political leanings.
• Therefore, pro-choice parents will have more abortions and, hence, fewer children.
• Therefore, the pro-choice population gradually shrinks in proportion to the pro-life population.
• Therefore, support for legal abortions will decline over time.

A similar argument suggests that political groups which oppose abortion will tend to have more supporters in the long run than those who support it. See "The Roe Effect: The right to abortion has diminished the number of Democratic voters" by Taranto (Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2005) for a detailed explanation and statistical evidence that supports the theory. Pro-life advocates make a silent complaint in front of the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Pro-life is a term representing a variety of perspectives and activist movements in bioethics. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Taranto first discussed the concept in January 2003[1], and named it in December 2003.[2] He later suggested that the Roe effect helps explain (and is confirmed by) the fact that the fall in teen birthrates is "greatest in liberal states, where pregnant teenagers would be more likely to [have abortions] and thus less likely to carry their babies to term."[3]

The Journal has also published articles about this topic by Larry L. Eastland ("The Empty Cradle Will Rock", June 28, 2004) and Arthur C. Brooks ("Liberal/Conservative Fertility Gap", August 22, 2006). June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Legalized abortion and crime effect
• William Bennett, especially his Radio show comment on abortion