The two political parties are very far apart on the issue of abortion.

For the Democratic Party, abortion is an issue of women’s rights.  The Democratic Party wants to keep the Roe v. Wade decision in place, ensuring that women will have a nearly absolute right to an abortion in the first trimester.

For the Republican Party, abortion is an issue of the sanctity of life.  The Republican Party platform explicitly endorses a constitutional amendment that would ensure that unborn children have all the protections of the 14th Amendment.  Some Republicans would prefer to make all abortions illegal while others advocate allowing it in cases of rape, incest, or when it is needed to preserve the mother’s life.