Gun Control Support Muffled

chart

Public Doubts Effectiveness of Passing Tougher Laws

53 percent say the best way to reduce gun violence is simply to enforce the laws already in place. Forty percent favor creating new, stricter laws, or both.

Analysis
By Dalia Sussman
April 5 — Americans are broadly dubious that gun control would substantially reduce gun violence, or that creating new gun laws is a better idea than simply enforcing existing ones — doubts that combine to make the issue something of a political misfire.
     Nearly two-thirds of Americans do favor stricter gun laws, a number that’s held roughly stable for the last decade. But people are not making the issue a top priority: Gun control ranks ninth of 15 issues they call “very important” in their presidential vote.
     The reason, an ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll suggests, is that many people don’t think such laws will deliver results. Just a quarter think stricter gun control laws would reduce gun violence “a lot,” down a tad from 30 percent last fall. And nearly half, 48 percent, don’t think such laws would have any effect on gun violence at all.

New vs. Old
Indeed, 53 percent say the best way to reduce gun violence is simply to enforce the laws already in place. Forty percent favor creating new, stricter laws, or both. There are some differences among groups. Republicans, gun owners and men heavily favor enforcing existing laws rather than passing new ones, while Democrats, non-gun owners and women are divided about evenly on the question.

Strength of Support
Despite these doubts, 64 percent of Americans do favor stricter gun laws, and just under half, 49 percent, feel that way “strongly.” Support is much higher among non-gun owners than gun owners; among women compared to men; among city dwellers; and among people who call themselves politically liberal.
    
Favor stricter gun control
Men: 51%
Women: 76%
Conservatives: 46%
Liberals: 77%
Gun household: 49%
Non-gun household: 76%
Rural Area: 57%
Large City: 72%

Partisanship is the biggest divider: Just 44 percent of Republicans support gun control, compared to 81 percent of Democrats.
    

Favor stricter gun control
Democrats: 81%
Independents: 64%
Republicans: 44%

Logically, support for gun control goes hand in hand with the expectation it would reduce crime. This helps explain the partisan gap: Two-thirds of Democrats think stricter gun laws would reduce violent crime in this country; only three in 10 Republicans agree.

Think stricter gun laws would reduce violent crime
Democrats: 67%
Independents: 50%
Republicans: 31%
Campaign 2000
The presidential candidates mirror this difference in the parties. Democrat Al Gore has called for a host of new laws to control gun violence, while Republican George W. Bush has urged stronger enforcement of existing laws.
     But Americans do not show much of a preference for either candidate on the issue. Asked whom they trust more to handle gun control, 45 percent say Bush, 41 percent Gore. (Gore has lost ground here: In March, he led Bush by 11 points on this issue.)

Trust to handle gun control
  Gore Bush
4/2/00 41% 45%
3/11/00 47% 36%

Gun control is back in the news this week. Massachusetts put into effect the country’s strictest gun regulations, and the Maryland House approved a bill that would make the state the first in the nation to require built-in locks on new handguns.

Is NRA Too Influential?
A plurality of Americans, 44 percent, say the National Rifle Association has too much influence over gun control laws, while 32 percent say it has the right amount of influence. Only 18 percent say the NRA’s influence is too little.
     Despite the recently publicized clash between the NRA and the White House, these numbers have remained fairly constant since 1993. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the NRA has too much influence, as are non-gun owners, women and better-educated Americans.
     A total of 43 percent of Americans say they have a gun in their household. Gun ownership is higher among men, whites, Republicans and in rural areas.

Methodology
This ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone March 30-April 2 among a random national sample of 1,083 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Field work was conducted by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.