HISET Social Studies Practice

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Study for the HISET Social Studies Test. Access practice exams and detailed explanations to boost your confidence. Prepare effectively and succeed in your test!

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What was the significance of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade?

It established the constitutionality of state bans on abortion.
It permitted unrestricted state control over all abortions.
It ruled that states could not control abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy.
It allowed states to ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy.

The correct answer is: It ruled that states could not control abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy.

The significance of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade centers on the ruling that states cannot regulate abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy, establishing a woman's right to choose. The Court recognized that the right to privacy, which is implied by the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion. This landmark decision created a legal framework that differentiated between the phases of pregnancy: in the first trimester, the state had little interest in regulating the procedure, but this interest could increase in the second and third trimesters. This ruling effectively curtailed state power over abortion in the early stages of pregnancy, thereby affirming legal protections for women seeking abortions and influencing broader conversations about women's rights and reproductive autonomy in the years that followed.