On the issue of gun control, Americans have become more conservative in recent years, with 49% now putting the priority on protecting the right of Americans to own guns.
More than seven-in-ten Republicans say protecting gun rights is more important than controlling gun ownership, while nearly as many Democrats say gun control is more important.
Americans split on gun control, with the public evenly divided over whether it is more important to protect the rights of gun owners or to control gun ownership.
That’s the share of Americans who said they had a favorable view of the National Rifle Association in a survey taken before the Virginia Tech shootings, the first time since 1994 that the favorability rating of the anti-gun-control advocacy group has crossed the 50% mark.