Gun Violence

A little over a third of Americans say that easy access to guns is the majority reason for gun violence in America. A third think it ranges from 40-60% and about 1 in 4 think that easy access to guns has little to do with why the US is an outlier when it comes to gun violence. On the plus side, only 1 in 10 think easy access to guns has nothing to do with the large number of mass killings.

 Not shockingly, the views that Americans hold are very polarized, with people either thinking solutions like background checks, age gating and waiting periods either definitely will or definitely won’t have a strong effect. 

Banning assault rifles is at the center of the debate, given their prolific use in mass shootings. Interestingly there is very little difference between demographic groups when it comes to those who feel this approach would have a very strong effect. The one exception is when we look at political leanings and then the differences could not be more clear.