Who Decides? Abortion and Reproductive Rights Between Global Norms and National Power : International Institutional Norm Diffusion Mechanisms and Domestic Politics in Shaping Abortion and Reproductive Rights in Poland and the U.S

This thesis explores how international institutions such as the EU and the UN attempt to shape national policies on abortion and reproductive rights through norm diffusion. It analyzes how domestic ideological, institutional, and political contexts influence the adaptation, reception, or resistance to these global norms. The usage of a comparative case study of Poland and the U.S., the study draws on institutionalist and constructivist theories, more specifically liberal institutionalism and norm diffusion theory, to analyze the interaction between global governance and domestic power structures. With a qualitative content analysis, ideological content analysis, and ideological critique to analyze legal texts, policy documents, and discourse to identify how religious conservatism, political polarization, and nationalist ideologies influence the rejection or reinterpretation of global norms. The findings suggest that norm diffusion is neither linear nor automatic but rather contested and shaped by deep-rooted domestic ideologies and institutional resistance. This research paper contributes to understanding how the limits and possibilities of international norm influence, especially regarding abortion and reproductive rights, as well as highlighting the importance of contextual factors in shaping the policy outcomes.