{"id":{"repo_id":"mo-state","oai_identifier":"oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1948"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mo-state/oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1948","repository":{"repo_id":"mo-state","name":"Missouri State University","base_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Executive Regulation of Abortion During the Reagan-Bush Years","abstract":"In 1980, the anti-abortion movement successfully gained control of the U.S. presidency and for twelve years dominated the political agenda. This thesis analyzes the rise in executive power and how Reagan and Bush used administrative mechanisms to create a regulatory strategy to eliminate the right to abortion. The power of appointment and the use of the presidential veto were key components of the administrative efforts. In addition, this thesis reviews the transformation of American jurisprudence with regard to abortion and concludes that a refashioned Supreme Court has made it almost impossible to prove that regulations of abortion are \"undue burdens.\" An analysis of three executive policies: the 1984 \"Mexico City Policy,\" the 1988 Fetal Tissue Research Funding Ban,\" and the 1988 \"Gag Rule\" illustrates how regulation was created, implemented, legitimized and sustained all through the powers of the Reagan-Bush administrations. These regulations violated legal standards and principles of ethics. In addition, they had substantial adverse consequences for their recipients. As a result of the Reagan-Bush efforts, there has been a reduction in both the supply of and demand for legal abortion.","abstract_html":"In 1980, the anti-abortion movement successfully gained control of the U.S. presidency and for twelve years dominated the political agenda. This thesis analyzes the rise in executive power and how Reagan and Bush used administrative mechanisms to create a regulatory strategy to eliminate the right to abortion. The power of appointment and the use of the presidential veto were key components of the administrative efforts. In addition, this thesis reviews the transformation of American jurisprudence with regard to abortion and concludes that a refashioned Supreme Court has made it almost impossible to prove that regulations of abortion are "undue burdens." An analysis of three executive policies: the 1984 "Mexico City Policy," the 1988 Fetal Tissue Research Funding Ban," and the 1988 "Gag Rule" illustrates how regulation was created, implemented, legitimized and sustained all through the powers of the Reagan-Bush administrations. These regulations violated legal standards and principles of ethics. In addition, they had substantial adverse consequences for their recipients. As a result of the Reagan-Bush efforts, there has been a reduction in both the supply of and demand for legal abortion.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Weitz, Tracy A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Public Administration","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Political Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Kant Patel"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1993,"date_issued":"1993-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"1993-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:15:54Z","subjects":["Public Administration"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Tracy A Weitz"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/947","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Kant Patel"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Weitz, Tracy A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Political Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Public Administration"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Public Administration"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© Tracy A Weitz"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/947"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In 1980, the anti-abortion movement successfully gained control of the U.S. presidency and for twelve years dominated the political agenda. This thesis analyzes the rise in executive power and how Reagan and Bush used administrative mechanisms to create a regulatory strategy to eliminate the right to abortion. The power of appointment and the use of the presidential veto were key components of the administrative efforts. In addition, this thesis reviews the transformation of American jurisprudence with regard to abortion and concludes that a refashioned Supreme Court has made it almost impossible to prove that regulations of abortion are \"undue burdens.\" An analysis of three executive policies: the 1984 \"Mexico City Policy,\" the 1988 Fetal Tissue Research Funding Ban,\" and the 1988 \"Gag Rule\" illustrates how regulation was created, implemented, legitimized and sustained all through the powers of the Reagan-Bush administrations. These regulations violated legal standards and principles of ethics. In addition, they had substantial adverse consequences for their recipients. As a result of the Reagan-Bush efforts, there has been a reduction in both the supply of and demand for legal abortion."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Executive Regulation of Abortion During the Reagan-Bush Years"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Kant Patel"],"dc:creator":["Weitz, Tracy A."],"dc:description.abstract":["In 1980, the anti-abortion movement successfully gained control of the U.S. presidency and for twelve years dominated the political agenda. This thesis analyzes the rise in executive power and how Reagan and Bush used administrative mechanisms to create a regulatory strategy to eliminate the right to abortion. The power of appointment and the use of the presidential veto were key components of the administrative efforts. In addition, this thesis reviews the transformation of American jurisprudence with regard to abortion and concludes that a refashioned Supreme Court has made it almost impossible to prove that regulations of abortion are \"undue burdens.\" An analysis of three executive policies: the 1984 \"Mexico City Policy,\" the 1988 Fetal Tissue Research Funding Ban,\" and the 1988 \"Gag Rule\" illustrates how regulation was created, implemented, legitimized and sustained all through the powers of the Reagan-Bush administrations. These regulations violated legal standards and principles of ethics. In addition, they had substantial adverse consequences for their recipients. As a result of the Reagan-Bush efforts, there has been a reduction in both the supply of and demand for legal abortion."],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/947"],"dc:rights":["© Tracy A Weitz"],"dc:subject":["Public Administration"],"dc:title":["Executive Regulation of Abortion During the Reagan-Bush Years"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Political Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Public Administration"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:15:54Z"}