In an era marked by deep divisions between Republicans and Democrats, few issues are as politically polarizing as gun policy. While a few specific policy proposals continue to garner bipartisan support, the partisan divisions on other proposals – and even on whether gun violence is a serious national problem – […] Read more »
McConnell blasts big business stands
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) diatribe against big business could spawn volumes of analysis. The text tells many tales: the frayed coalition between the board room and the pick-up truck, hypocrisy, and more. What struck me most was the fundamental inaccuracy of nearly every assertion and premise on which […] Read more »
Don’t Blame the Public for the Failure to Pass New Gun Laws
Earlier this month, Gallup’s Frank Newport reviewed public opinion on proposed changes in gun laws. His review of the polls is solid and objective, as one would expect from the deservedly esteemed former editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll. But his explanation of why public support for increased gun regulation has […] Read more »
Majorities Say Leaders Haven’t Done Enough to Prevent Gun Violence and Want Stronger Gun Laws
This release features findings from a national online survey of 1,002 registered voters conducted March 25-29, 2021. Additional interviews were conducted among 103 Hispanic voters, 100 African American voters, 100 independents without a partisan lean, and 100 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. Key takeaways• A majority of Americans describe […] Read more »
American Public Opinion and Gun Violence
… As is well-established by this point, efforts to reduce the very high number of gun deaths in this country face a complex and sometimes murky reality. … Two notable issues stand in the way of efforts to reduce gun violence. The first is the relatively low sense of urgency […] Read more »
Why Republicans aren’t likely to budge on gun control
The political script following the recent mass shootings in Boulder, Colorado, and Atlanta feels all too familiar. Democrats, led by President Joe Biden, want Congress to pass gun control legislation, most notably universal background checks, while Republicans are balking. The motions are so familiar that I wrote an article three […] Read more »