PEW Research: Support for Stricter Gun Control Down over Past 2 Years

A PEW Research report highlighting joint Gallup findings notes support for stricter gun control is down seven percent from where it was two years ago.

According to the report, 53 percent of Americans “prefer stricter gun laws.” That is down from the 60 percent who supported stricter gun laws in September 2019.

PEW notes one of the biggest shifts has been among Republicans, who have gone from favoring stricter gun laws over less strict by a margin of 31 percent to 20 percent to favoring less strict over more strict by a margin of 27 percent to 20 percent. Eighty-one percent of Democrats believe gun laws should be more strict.

A pro-gun supporter attends a rally in favor of the 2nd Amendment in front of the US Capitol on November 2, 2019, in Washington, DC. - The 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution reads, "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." (Photo by Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

A pro-gun supporter attends a rally in favor of the 2nd Amendment in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. The 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty)

Gun rights supporters hold signs and listen to speakers at a gun rights rally and march at the Utah State Capitol on March 2, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The rally attracted several hundred people for the march to the Utah Capitol in favor of 2nd Amendment rights as gun control supporters call for more limits and bans on assault weapons. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

Gun rights supporters hold signs and listen to speakers at a gun rights rally and march at the Utah State Capitolin Salt Lake City, Utah. (George Frey/Getty Images)

Shifting from political affiliation to ethnicity and race, PEW shows black Americans are far more likely to answer in the affirmative when asked if gun violence is a major problem.

They note, “About eight-in-ten Black adults (82%) say gun violence is a very big problem – by far the largest share of any racial or ethnic group.”

PEW further outlines 4-in-10 American adults say they live in a household where there is a gun, and 30 percent of American adults say they own a gun.

When gun ownership is examined on the basis of party affiliation 44 percent of Republicans say they personally own a gun and 20 percent of Democrats do. Gun ownership among rural American adults is double that among urban American adults.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.

COMMENTS