Summary:

Research objective: to analyze the dynamics of the abortion agenda in the Brazilian context, considering the interaction between the legislative agenda, the media and the Federal Supreme Court (STF) between 1988 and 2020.

Theoretical framework: the Punctuated Equilibrium Theory is used to analyze the attention given to the issue of abortion in the forums of the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, the Supreme Court and the media, as well as the image expressed by the actors involved.

Methodology: A longitudinal approach is used, considering four theoretical-analytical elements: attention, image, actors and political forums. We analyzed the number and tone (opposed, favorable or neutral) of bills (n=401), speeches by senators (n=298), deputies (n=1176), actors in public hearings in the Senate (n=44) and the Supreme Court (n=79) and, from the media, a sample of actors mentioned (n=394) in cover stories in Estadão, Folha de São Paulo and O Globo.

Results: The results are presented chronologically, highlighting the stability of abortion policy in Congress, in which the opposite tone prevails and few bills are approved, while punctuations (changes) have occurred via the STF, something verified by the legislative and media agenda.

Originality: the STF forum is added to the analysis of the agenda, a judicial body that has interpreted constitutional issues related to abortion and held public hearings with national and foreign actors.

Theoretical and practical contributions: 33 years of the abortion agenda have been consolidated, with relevant information for parliamentarians, the players involved and citizens, bringing the issue of the judicialization of politics into the debate with changes via the Supreme Court. Limitations and future research are considered.

Keywords: abortion, agenda-setting, punctuated equilibrium theory, STF.

Link to the magazine and full article: /https://beta.periodicos.ufv.br/apgs/article/view/11932/7255