Charting the Divide: The Intersection of Healthcare Provider Demographics and Politics in the Post-Dobbs Regime

Abstract The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision restructured the legal landscape governing healthcare for pregnant patients, yet the clinical perspectives of healthcare providers on Dobbs remain poorly understood. We survey 1,161 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses to examine how demographics and political views shape provider attitudes in the post- Dobbs legal regime. Our black provider subjects are more conservative than national data on black college-educated voters might predict; still, we find suggestive evidence that black providers perceive Dobbs more negatively in their clinical practice. Furthermore, we find across specifications that a provider’s 2024 presidential voting behavior is the single strongest predictor of holding a negative view of Dobbs in clinical practice. Because our sample substantially overrepresents minority providers, our exploratory findings indicate a greater need for research at the intersection of race and clinical practice.