Commenting on the overturning of the Roe v Wade abortion ruling in the US, Dean of the SMU College of Integrative Studies and Professor of Political Science Elvin Lim suggested that the court had been "waiting for when a majority of states stood against Roe v Wade, so that its decision would not stand too blatantly against the court of public opinion". He also pointed out that Democrats "will try to use abortion as a national election issue for the 2022 and 2024 elections". However, the overturning of Roe v Wade is also a "victory for Republicans in office who will use the issue in state and local elections to remind voters of the need to keep Republicans in office". Prof Lim added that allies of the US "may be concerned at the growing cultural rift within the United States", and "have doubts about its ability to build a consensus on such matters like trade, human rights, or foreign policy".