Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/250576 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 14915
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
The Global Gag Rule is a pro-life policy that prohibits aid to overseas non-governmental organisations offering abortion-related information or services. Since first implemented by President Reagan in 1984, it has been enacted under every Republican and revoked under every Democrat. It was tightened under President Trump and rescinded under President Biden. Using data for 1985-2019, we demonstrate that aid for family planning has been 48% higher under Democratic presidential regimes. We estimate that a switch from Democratic to Republican party, for an aid-receiving country with above-median reliance on US family planning aid, is associated with an additional 0.6 deaths per 1,000 women, an increase of 8%. This erodes a fifth of the average worldwide decline in maternal mortality achieved since 1990.
Subjects: 
maternal mortality
abortion
overseas aid
US Presidential party
Global Gag Rule
Mexico City Policy
JEL: 
I18
J13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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