UW Survey Finds Diverse Views on Abortion Rights and Guns

A new University of Wyoming survey finds a wide range of opinions among Wyoming residents regarding abortion rights, reflecting the nuanced views held across the state.

The survey indicates that 11 percent of Wyomingites believe abortion should never be permitted. Meanwhile, 31 percent support allowing abortion only in instances of rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk, highlighting a conditional approach to the issue.

Additionally, 30 percent feel that abortion should be permitted in situations beyond rape, incest and danger to the mother, provided the need has been clearly established. This perspective suggests a more situational approach, emphasizing careful consideration of circumstances.

Conversely, 39 percent of respondents uphold the belief that women should always have access to abortions as a matter of personal choice.

The statewide survey was conducted Sept. 24-Oct. 27, yielding 739 responses from randomly selected Wyoming residents. The margin of error for the distribution of responses on any individual survey question is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Men and women from all age groups and all counties in Wyoming are proportionally represented in the survey data. The final survey data have been weighted to reflect the actual population distribution in Wyoming on gender, age, county of residence, party affiliation and education.

Among self-identified Republicans, the most common response is that abortions only be allowed in instances of rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk, at 43 percent. The second most common response among Republicans is that abortion should always be allowed as a matter of personal choice, at 22 percent.

Preferences are much more consistent among self-identified Democrats, as 86 percent believe abortion should always be allowed as a matter of personal choice.

"Wyoming residents exhibit a wide spectrum of views on abortion rights, reflecting deeply nuanced and personal perspectives," says Ryan Williamson, an assistant professor of political science at UW.

Gun Control Measures

The UW survey also sheds light on the diverse perspectives among Wyoming residents concerning gun control measures, reflecting both support and opposition to various proposals.

A notable 58 percent of Wyomingites support the idea of requiring firearm sales to be reported and recorded, while 28 percent oppose this measure. This suggests a majority who favor increased oversight in gun transactions.

When it comes to licensing requirements, 49 percent of respondents believe that requiring a license to purchase or possess firearms or ammunition is a good idea, compared to 39 percent who view it as unfavorable, indicating a division in opinion on adding regulatory steps to gun ownership.

On the topic of gun-free zones, 36 percent think eliminating these zones is beneficial, whereas 43 percent disagree, underscoring debates around safety and firearms accessibility in specific areas.

"Questions regarding gun control in Wyoming underscore a seeming desire to strike a balance between safety measures and protecting individual rights," Williamson says.

Biennial surveys of Wyoming residents are conducted by UW's School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies in partnership with the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center. The questions focus on attitudes toward government, elected officials, candidates for office and contemporary policy issues. Questions regarding the survey can be directed to [email protected].

A top-line report with methodological outline and complete survey results can be found at https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/projects/weys24/.

A random sample of all cellular and landline telephones was generated for the UW survey. Selected respondents were contacted via email, mail and phone to complete the survey, with 59 percent of responses on the web and the remaining 41 percent via live-interviewer telephone (92 percent cellular).

"This approach to the survey methodology gives every person in Wyoming with a phone an equal probability of selection for the survey," says Brian Harnisch, director of the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center. "Survey respondents accurately reflect the statewide population in terms of general demographic characteristics that include age, gender and county of residence, as well as other benchmarks such as party affiliation and educational attainment."

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