- About a third of Americans own guns, with a significant majority citing personal protection as the main reason, cutting across party lines.
- Despite divided views on gun safety, there’s growing concern among Americans about gun violence as a major issue.
- Bipartisan support is evident for background checks and restricting gun access to individuals with mental illnesses.
- While opinions on assault weapon bans and magazine capacity vary, consensus exists on some basic gun control measures.
- The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, reflecting some level of cross-party agreement, marks progress in addressing gun violence.
The stance of the Republican Party and American attitudes towards gun control and the Second Amendment reveal a complex and nuanced landscape, shaped by a mixture of constitutional principles, personal beliefs, and public safety concerns.
The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, and about a third of U.S. adults personally own a gun. Gun ownership varies significantly across political affiliations, gender, and community types. Notably, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more than twice as likely as Democrats and Democratic leaners to personally own a gun. This disparity is also reflected in differences in views on gun safety and gun control measures. (Pew Research Center)
The primary reason cited by gun owners for owning a firearm is personal protection, with three-quarters of gun owners indicating this as a major reason. However, feelings about gun ownership differ by political affiliation, even among those who own firearms. Republican gun owners are more likely to associate owning a gun with feelings of safety and enjoyment, while Democratic owners are more concerned about the risks of having a gun in the home. (Pew Research Center)
There’s a significant divide in opinions on whether gun ownership increases or decreases safety. Approximately half of Americans believe it increases safety by allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, while the other half believe it decreases safety by giving too many people access to firearms. This divide is starkly evident along party lines, with 79% of Republicans believing that gun ownership increases safety, as opposed to 78% of Democrats who believe it decreases safety. (Pew Research Center)
Concerns about gun violence and violent crime are on the rise among Americans. Sixty percent consider gun violence a very big problem, an increase from previous years, and a majority expect the level of gun violence to increase over the next five years. A significant majority (61%) believe it is too easy to legally obtain a gun in the U.S., with a notable partisan divide on this issue. While 86% of Democrats believe it is too easy to obtain a gun legally, only 34% of Republicans share this view. (Pew Research Center)
Despite these differences, there is some common ground. A majority of Americans, including majorities within both political parties, favor stricter gun laws, and there is broad bipartisan agreement on specific policy proposals such as preventing those with mental illnesses from purchasing guns and increasing the minimum age for buying guns to 21 years old. (Pew Research Center)
However, Republicans and Democrats differ sharply on other proposals. While a majority of Democrats favor banning assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, a majority of Republicans oppose these proposals. Conversely, most Republicans support allowing teachers and school officials to carry guns in schools and allowing people to carry concealed guns in more places, proposals which are largely opposed by Democrats. (Pew Research Center)
Gun ownership also influences views on gun policies. Gun owners are generally less likely than non-owners to favor restrictions on gun ownership, with the exception of preventing mentally ill people from buying guns, which is supported by nearly identical majorities of gun owners and non-owners. (Pew Research Center)
A recent poll by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy found that 86% of American adults support mandating background checks for all firearm sales and transfers, and nearly three-quarters support requiring gun owners to take a test, obtain a license, and register their firearms. These views are bipartisan, with significant majorities of both Republicans and Democrats supporting these measures. However, the issue of an assault weapons ban is more divisive, with a majority of Democrats supporting it and a majority of Republicans opposing it. (MPR News)
In response to rising gun-related death rates and mass shootings, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was passed, marking the first major piece of gun control legislation in three decades. This act expanded background checks and provided federal funding for community and mental health initiatives. Further gun control measures continue to be a point of discussion and contention in U.S. politics, reflecting the ongoing debate between upholding Second Amendment rights and addressing public safety concerns related to gun violence. (POLITICO)
These findings highlight a landscape where Americans, irrespective of party affiliation, express increasing concern about gun violence and show support for certain gun control measures, while also revealing deep divides on specific policies and the interpretation of Second Amendment rights.