Post-Roe Public Discourse: A Temporal Analysis of Discussion on US Abortion Law Changes

Abstract

The "Post-Roe" refers to the period following the June 2022 Supreme Court decision to overrule Roe v. Wade, the 1973 abortion right law. Since this overturn of this law, substantial public discourse was noticed across the US and this controversial issue has trended on all news media agencies and social media platforms. Several studies have analyzed public opinion and the impact of this legal change on healthcare, economic challenges, and society. However, little work has been done to identify the shift in discussion over time. Our research analyzes YouTube and Reddit comments to perceive insights into the evolving spectrum of public opinion on abortion legislation by utilizing NLP techniques and opinion mining. By systematically categorizing comments to extract themes and employing a temporal analysis approach, we identify shifts in public sentiment across different phases of time, such as immediate reactions, peak debate, and long-term responses. Our preliminary findings show that different themes prevail at different phases and primary concerns shift over time. This study might help policymakers, activists, and social commentators understand these shifts to effectively address the evolving concerns of the public and take measures accordingly.