How many americans support gun ownership

Skip to main content. Kennedy Jr. The article below is a product of the Harvard Political Review. Review articles and viewpoints expressed are written and edited exclusively by Review undergraduate students, not the staff of Harvard's Institute of Politics. Author: Victor Agbafe. A gun show in Houston. Universal Background Checks Create pie charts.

Subscribe to the IOP Newsletter. Broad bipartisan support for Congressional action on specific gun policies emerged in this poll, with 89 percent of Americans, saying Congress should pass more funding to screen and treat people with mental illness who are trying to purchase guns legally. Eighty-three percent of respondents said background checks should be required if someone wants to buy a gun at a gun show or through a private sale.

Similarly, 72 percent of U. Support became more politically fragmented when Americans were asked about banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines or semi-automatic assault weapons such as the AK or AR Sixty-one percent of out of 10 Americans said they want to ban high-capacity magazines, but 51 percent of Republicans rejected the idea.

And 37 percent of U. That support was strongest among Republicans, and people who supported Trump in the election. Those opinions reflect the results of surveys out this week.

In the journal Health Affairs , researchers shared findings from the National Survey on Gun Policy, a biennial questionnaire that surveys gun owners and non-gun owners and was first asked after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In that nationally representative online survey, 88 percent of U. The responses, however, have shifted little since then, Barry said.

In , Congress passed the Dickey Amendment—a law that discouraged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from spending any federal dollars on research that could be used to advocate against guns. As you may know, last week the U. Senate voted on, but did not pass, a measure to expand background checks for gun purchases. Do you think the Senate should or should not have passed the measure to expand background checks for gun purchases? Asked of those who do not want Senate to pass bill to expand background checks What are some of the reasons you did not want the Senate to pass expanded background checks for gun purchases?

Next, suppose that on Election Day you could vote on key issues as well as candidates. Would you vote for or against a law that would -- Require background checks for all gun purchases? Would you vote for or against a law that would -- Reinstate and strengthen the ban on assault weapons that was in place from to ?

Would you vote for or against a law that would -- Limit the sale of ammunition magazines to those with 10 rounds or less? Would you vote for or against a law that would -- Increase government spending for mental health programs for young people? Would you vote for or against a law that would -- Increase government spending for training police officers, first responders and school officials on how to respond to active armed attacks?

Would you vote for or against a law that would -- Increase criminal penalties for people who pass the required background check but who buy a gun for someone who has not passed a background check?

Would you vote for or against a law that would -- Ban the possession of armor-piercing bullets by anyone other than members of the military and law enforcement? How often does the NRA reflect your views about guns -- always, most of the time, only sometimes or never? Just your opinion, what do you think are the one or two most important things that could be done to prevent mass shootings from occurring in the United States?

Do you believe the Second Amendment to the U. Have you, personally, ever fired a gun, or not? Asked of gun owners Next, please tell me whether you own a gun for each of the following reasons. Do you think courtrooms would be safer places or more dangerous places if judges were armed with guns?

Do you think schools would be safer places or more dangerous places if school officials were armed with guns? Do you think airplanes would be safer places or more dangerous places if pilots were armed with guns? More than three-quarters — 76 percent — also supported banning people on federal watchlists from owning guns, 73 percent said that they would support establishing waiting periods of three days before a gun can be taken home after it is purchased and 70 percent backed the creation of a national database of gun sales.

Almost half — 46 percent — said that limiting gun ownership was more important than protecting the Second Amendment, while 44 percent said that gun ownership rights were a higher priority. The remainder said they didn't know or did not have an opinion. Democrats also had a clear edge over Republicans when it comes to which party voters surveyed trust to handle the issue.