Background of the Issue
Abortion practice has become a matter of debate in the United States, where many states have pending cases in courts to prevent restrictions. In other states, they work to expand access to abortions by enforcing additional legal protections. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, abortion laws were enacted, which severely restricted or banned the acts within the American states (Reagan, 2022). The law targeted healthcare practitioners who practice abortion and not pregnant women who sought the services. The goal of the law was to protect women and fetuses against injuries resulting from abortion.
From the mid-20th century onward, social forces such as the feminist movement emerged to fight for women’s sexual freedom. In 1967, Colorado became the first state to increase the situations under which abortion could be practiced. By 1970, 11 more states followed the approach of loosening abortion laws and permitting it under specific conditions (Myers, 2021). Abortion rights activists hold different perspectives on abortion and challenge the state’s laws in court. They claimed the statutes denied them reproductive freedom and the right to make their own decisions. The right to terminate pregnancy is viewed by pro-abortion as their fundamental liberty and privacy, which the Constitution stipulates.
In 1973, a high court case, Roe v. Wade, reversed Texas laws that banned abortion apart from situations where the mother’s life was at risk. A second ruling in the same year also struck down statutes that outlawed abortion, concluding that it was a woman’s constitutional right to terminate the pregnancy (Cohen et al., 2022). In the following years, the High Court eliminated laws preventing abortion while maintaining a few that were considered not to interfere with women’s rights.
In 1992, the Supreme Court, in the case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, overturned past rulings and blocked states from conducting abortions before the end of the first trimester (Davis, 2022). The states were instructed to ratify laws that eliminate burdens or obstacles to a woman when seeking abortion services. Also, the states had to ensure that minors require their parents’ consent before getting an abortion. In 2003, President Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Act, which prevented specific abortion procedures. A procedure that involves deliberately dilating the woman’s cervix and pushing a living fetus through the birth canal with the intention of terminating the pregnancy.
Leader’s Background
John G. Roberts, Jr, was born in 1955 in Buffalo, New York, and rose to become the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He graduated from Harvard Law School and later worked as a Supreme Court clerk, an aide to Attorney General William Smith, an aide to the White House, and in the private sector. In 2003, he was nominated by President George W. Bush as a Court of Appeal Judge. After Chief Justice Rehnquist’s death, Roberts assumed the position in 2005, becoming the youngest Chief Justice in 100 years (Biskupic, 2019). Robert has served as the Chief Justice of the United States of America to date.
Chief Justice Roberts’s democratic leadership style fosters open discussion and the sharing of ideas among his team. He empowers others by promoting engagement during decision-making. Working directly with his team demonstrates transparency, which instills trust and respect in his professional duties among his juniors. Democratic leadership benefits include increased innovation and creativity, which are crucial for solving problems. It also ensures team cohesion by incorporating individual ideas in the decision-making process. Democratic leadership promotes job satisfaction among employees by recognizing their contributions, making them feel valued. Chief Justice Roberts’s democratic leadership style is crucial to his job because he must obtain consensus from his team before issuing rulings.
Chief Justice Roberts holds legitimate power over the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Legitimate power is a formal authority that an individual receives while occupying a given job title or position. It gives any system or organization a sense of order and working structure. The roles associated with legitimate power are executing plans and making important organizational decisions. Legitimate power can be easily lost when misused; thus, it is crucial for the leader to never use it for personal gain. The leader needs to serve others by listening and incorporating their views into decision-making.
Leadership Decision
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was a crucial case addressing the Constitution’s view on abortion. In June 2022, Chief Justice Roberts led the Supreme Court justices in overturning Planned Parenthood v. Casey and Roe v. Wade and upholding Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act. The Mississippi Act outlawed almost all pregnancy termination after 15 weeks but only allowed it in cases of fetal complications and medical emergencies (Manninen, 2023). The court ruling illustrated that abortion is not a constitutional right since it is not stated clearly in the Constitution, and it is not deeply ingrained in the nation’s traditions and history.
The Supreme Court ruling implications indicated that there are constitutional rights that permit an individual to have an abortion. The effect of the ruling forces more than half of the American states to enact laws against abortion. These could lead to people traveling long distances to access abortion care services. Healthcare providers and pharmacists who assist patients with abortion procedures will be arrested and prosecuted for the offense (Davis, 2022).
Abolishing abortion affects women carrying unsafe or unwanted pregnancies. Such women experience low self-esteem, mental distress, and economic challenges, thus living unhappy lives. Such women are at a higher risk of developing mental health challenges, straining the current mental health system. Similarly, pregnant women denied abortion while in violent relationships increase their risk of sustaining physical violence. This can result in severe injuries or pregnancy complications affecting the unborn child.
Ethical/Leadership Concept
The reversal of Roe v. Wade was based on the principle of protecting the Constitution and upholding the nation’s traditions. The Constitution does outline abortion, and therefore, the court ought to rule out the previous judgments. The ruling directed the power to regulate abortion to the people and their elected leaders. The court upholding Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act aims to protect the life of unborn babies after 15 weeks of pregnancy (Jozkowski et al., 2023). The state urged that at 15 weeks, the fetus has significant physiological development, and it is precarious to conduct an abortion. The life of the mother is at high risk, and thus, the ruling was upheld but only practiced in cases of severe fetal complications or medical emergencies.
Change Theory, Policy, and Economics
Implementing changes in an organization or society typically encounters resistance, making it essential to collaborate with the stakeholders. Based on Lewin’s change model, implementing anti-abortion policies requires unfreezing the previous practice (Ratana, 2020). The ruling needs to be communicated to the people on the permissible conditions under which abortion can be allowed. Many face challenges of unwanted pregnancies due to health or economic reasons, forcing them to carry them to term or travel long distances to seek care. The financial challenge for pregnant women can drive them to opt for unsafe abortion, which can affect their health. Also, the risks of losing employment due to pregnancy can lead them to abortion.
The next step will be implementing the change, including the communication and supporting infrastructure to support the ruling. The success of the ruling can be achieved by promoting affordable maternal and child health. Also, policies should protect women’s employment welfare by offering flexible maternal leave. The last step is refreezing, where the condition is checked to prevent the population from revisiting the abortion practice. The approach is attained by reviewing progress and developing new strategies to counter future changes.
References
Biskupic, J. (2019). The chief: The life and turbulent times of chief justice John Roberts. Basic Books.
Cohen, I. G., Reingold, R. B., & Gostin, L. O. (2022). Supreme court ruling on the Texas abortion law: Beginning to unravel Roe v. Wade. JAMA, 327(7), 621-622.
Davis, M. F. (2022). The state of abortion rights in the US. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 159(1), 324-329.
Jozkowski, K. N., Bueno, X., Turner, R. C., Crawford, B. L., & Lo, W. J. (2023). People’s knowledge of and attitudes toward abortion laws before and after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 31(1).
Manninen, B. A. (2023). A Critical Analysis of Dobbs v. Jackson women’s health organization and the consequences of fetal personhood. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 32(3), 357-367.
Myers, C. K. (2021). Confidential and legal access to abortion and contraception, 1960-2019. Journal of Population Economics, 130.
Ratana, S., Raksmey, C., & Danut, D. (2020). Conceptualizing a framework: A critical review of the development of change management theories. Studies in Business and Economics, 15(2), 205-214.
Reagan, L. J. (2022). When abortion was a crime: Women, medicine, and law in the United States, 1867-1973, with a new preface. Univ of California Press.