Proposals to regulate guns in the US?
Newsweek Poll
12-13 August 1999
Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. N=753 adults nationwide. MoE ± 4 (total sample).
“Please tell me whether you favor or oppose the following proposals to regulate guns in this country. What about [see below]? Do you favor or oppose this proposal?”
“establishing a mandatory waiting period before a handgun could be purchased to allow time to check a buyer’s background”
Favor % ALL 93 Gun owners 91 Non-gun owners 94 “requiring child safety locks to be sold with all new handguns”
Favor % ALL 89 Gun owners 85 Non-gun owners 91 “requiring all handgun owners to attend a course on gun safety”
Favor % ALL 84 Gun owners 80 Non-gun owners 88 “requiring all handgun owners to register with the government”
Favor % ALL 74 Gun owners 66 Non-gun owners 81 “banning the manufacture, sale, and possession of semi-automatic assault guns,
such as the AK-47?”
Favor % ALL 68 Gun owners 63 Non-gun owners 73 “requiring owners of hunting rifles to register with the government”
Favor % ALL 61 Gun owners 45 Non-gun owners 74 “banning gun shows where people often buy and sell guns without much supervision or regulation”
Favor % ALL 51 Gun owners 38 Non-gun owners 60 “penalizing gun manufacturers or distributors whose weapons fall into the hands of children”
Favor % ALL 41 Gun owners 31 Non-gun owners 47 “banning the possession of handguns except by the police and other authorised persons”
Favor % ALL 37 Gun owners 21 Non-gun owners 50
“Do you think stricter gun control laws would reduce the amount of violent crime in this country a lot, a little, or not at all?”
| ALL | Republicans | Democrats | Independents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| A lot | 33 | 26 | 43 | 31 |
| A little | 35 | 39 | 33 | 30 |
| Not at all | 29 | 32 | 21 | 35 |
| Don’t know | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
“As you may know, some cities have filed lawsuits against gun manufacturers to recover money spent by hospitals and police dealing with gun violence. Do you think gun manufacturers should be held responsible for these costs, or not?”
| % | |
| Should be | 26 |
| Should not be | 66 |
| Don’t know | 8 |
“In general, which political party do you agree with more on the issue of gun control: the Republican Party or the Democratic Party?”
| ALL | Gun Owners | Non-Gun Owners | |
| % | % | % | |
| Democratic Party | 34 | 28 | 38 |
| Republican Party | 26 | 35 | 21 |
| Both (vol.) | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Don’t know | 32 | 29 | 33 |
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