Americans embrace the idea of expanding background checks and providing safeguards to prevent gun sales to those with mental illness.
Sweeping gun control proposals might not have widespread support from the general public, but Americans overwhelmingly embrace the idea of expanding background checks and providing safeguards to prevent gun sales to those with mental illness.
Support is high for both measures regardless of political affiliation, according to a recently released study from the Pew Research Center.
To test the waters regarding gun control, Pew researchers polled 2,002 American adults during a July 14-20, 2015, survey. Princeton Data Source employees conducted the telephone interviews on Pew’s behalf to arrive at the findings. Respondents were all 18 years of age or older, living within the United States, including the District of Columbia.
What Americans Agree Upon
Pew researchers found that certain points related to gun control laws do not show a huge dividing line based on political party. The points the majority of Americans agree upon include:
- Background checks expanded to private sales and gun show sales – 85% of Americans support this, including 88% of Democrats and 79% of Republicans. The numbers, Pew notes, have changed little since May 2013.
- Measures to prevent those with mental illness from buying guns – 79% of all Americans support legislation to prevent sales to those with mental illness. A total of 81% of Republicans agree with this while 79% of Democrats do.
Where Americans Differ
Expanded background checks and safeguards to prevent sales to the mentally ill may draw Americans together, but a few other points related to gun control are more polarizing.
While the majority of Americans agree on the following measures, the results aren’t quite as united, Pew noted:
- A federal database to track gun sales – A total of 70% of all Americans support this idea, but approval is more party-line based with 85% of Democrats in favor compared with 55% of Republicans.
- An assault weapon ban – Only 57% of Americans support this idea with strong support, 70%, coming from Democrats. Only 48% of Republicans are in favor of a ban on assault-style weapons.
A more even divide was found when researchers asked respondents for their priorities in regard to gun control laws, Pew noted.
Researchers found some 50% of Americans say it is important to control gun ownership while 47% say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns.
Those in favor tend to fall along party lines. About 73% of Democrats say controlling gun ownership is more important while 71% of Republicans want gun rights protected.
While gaining widespread public support for some gun control measures may prove tough, Pew’s study shows that expanded background checks and protections against sales to those with mental illness are desired and supported by the American public.
Whether legislation to make either proposal reality will go through on the national level remains to be seen.
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