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Amid a Series of Mass Shootings in the U.S., Gun Policy Remains Deeply Divisive
Support for stricter gun laws has fluctuated in recent years; fewer back stricter laws now than in 2019
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- Amid a Series of Mass Shootings in the U.S., Gun Policy Remains Deeply Divisive
- Narrow majority favors stricter gun laws, but deep partisan divisions persist
- Broad support for barring people with mental illnesses from obtaining guns, expanded background checks
- Bipartisan support for preventing the mentally ill from buying guns, expanded background checks; wide partisan differences on many other gun policies
- Declining GOP support for assault-style weapons ban, national gun registry
- GOP share saying gun violence is very big problem for the country declines
- Support for stricter gun laws has fluctuated in recent years; fewer back stricter laws now than in 2019
- Wide differences in support for stricter gun laws by race, gender, education and community type
- Black adults far more likely than White adults to say crime would go up if more people had guns
- Young adults far more likely than older people to say mass shootings would be less frequent if guns were harder to obtain legally
- Large shares of Democrats strongly favor gun policies that would restrict purchases, ownership of certain weapons; Republicans express more lukewarm support
- Less support for expanded gun background checks among Republicans in rural areas than those living in urban, suburban communities
- Black Democrats more likely than White, Hispanic Democrats to say gun violence is a very big problem