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While national
surveys on public attitudes toward firearms and firearms regulation
are common, rarely do surveys look at respondents across the nation
by region or state. This summary offers key findings on the nine
census regions1 and four of the most populated states2 from a study
conducted by Tom W. Smith and Luis Martos at the National Opinion
Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. The study,
Attitudes Towards and Experiences with Guns: A State-Level Perspective
is a new, first-time regional and state analysis of information
gathered by NORC utilizing three resources: the annual National
Gun Policy Survey (NGPS) for the years 1996, 1997, and 1998, which
is conducted by NORC; the annual General Social Survey, which has
been conducted by NORC since 1972; and the archives of the National
Network of State Polls. Information contained in this summary has
been pooled together from the National Gun Policy Survey for the
years 1996, 1997, and 1998. The NGPS is the most comprehensive annual
survey on national gun attitudes conducted in the United States.
Data from the three years were calculated by NORC to obtain these
new regional and state numbers.
Handgun Ban
While only 25
percent of Americans own a handgun, 37 percent of Americans favor
"a law that would ban the possession of handguns except for the
police and other authorized persons." A majority (51 percent) of
Middle Atlantic residents favor a handgun ban. Nearly 47 percent
of New England residents favor a handgun ban, as do 40 percent of
East North Central residents. Nearly six out of 10 New Yorkers (59
percent) favor a handgun ban. For many regions, more residents favor
a handgun ban than own handguns.
Federal Safety Regulation of the Gun Industry
Currently, the
firearms industry is the only manufacturer of a consumer product
that is specifically exempt from federal safety regulation. The
survey found that federal safety regulation of the gun industry
is favored by nearly 73 percent of the American public. Federal
safety regulation of the firearms industry is favored by more than
70 percent of the residents in the following regions: New England,
Middle Atlantic, West North Central, South Atlantic, West South
Central, and Pacific. In the remaining regions, federal safety regulation
is supported by at least 67 percent of residents. In each state
more than 70 percent of residents supported federal safety regulation
of the industry.
Concealed Carry
Less than 40
percent of Americans feel safer with a concealed weapons law. The
only region of the country where a majority of residents feel safer
as the result of a concealed weapons law is the East South Central.
In none of the four states do the majority of residents feel safer
with a concealed weapons law. A majority in every region—except
for the East South Central region and West South Central region
and Texas—want concealed carry licenses restricted.
Information for the United States and the Nine Census Regions
This section
contains selected information on the public's attitudes towards
guns for the United States and the nine census regions from Attitudes
Towards and Experiences with Guns: A State-Level Perspective.
The nine census regions are:
- New England:
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Vermont
- Middle
Atlantic: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
- East North
Central: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin
- West North
Central:
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska,
South Dakota
- South
Atlantic: District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
- East South
Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee
- West South
Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
- Mountain:
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada,
Utah, Wyoming
- Pacific:
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington
Percent Who
Want a Law Banning the Possession of Handguns3
| United States |
36.6 |
| New England |
46.5 |
| Middle Atlantic |
51.0 |
| East North Central |
40.2 |
| West North Central |
28.9 |
| South Atlantic |
35.3 |
| East South Central |
27.1 |
| West South Central |
29.3 |
| Mountain |
28.9 |
| Pacific |
33.9 |
Gun Ownership by Type4 Compared to Support for a Handgun Ban5
| Region |
Handgun Only |
Both Handgun and Long
Gun |
Total Handgun Ownership |
Support for Handgun
Ban |
| United States |
6.1 |
18.7 |
24.8 |
36.6 |
| New England |
3.8 |
12.7 |
16.5 |
46.5 |
| Middle Atlantic |
3.5 |
11.3 |
14.8 |
51.0 |
| East North Central |
4.3 |
15.8 |
20.1 |
40.2 |
| West North Central |
3.4 |
18.0 |
21.4 |
28.9 |
| South Atlantic |
7.6 |
20.4 |
28.0 |
35.3 |
| East South Central |
11.6 |
28.4 |
40.0 |
27.1 |
| West South Central |
7.1 |
26.4 |
33.5 |
29.3 |
| Mountain |
6.7 |
26.5 |
33.2 |
28.9 |
| Pacific |
7.2 |
16.4 |
23.6 |
33.9 |
Percent Who Have a Gun in Household6
| United States |
39.6 |
| New England |
32.6 |
| Middle Atlantic |
25.5 |
| East North Central |
37.4 |
| West North Central |
47.7 |
| South Atlantic |
38.3 |
| East South Central |
60.8 |
| West South Central |
51.1 |
| Mountain |
48.8 |
| Pacific |
33.5 |
Percent Who
Say Guns Make Homes Less Safe7
| United States |
45.1 |
| New England |
64.4 |
| Middle Atlantic |
53.4 |
| East North Central |
46.6 |
| West North Central |
41.8 |
| South Atlantic |
39.7 |
| East South Central |
24.9 |
| West South Central |
37.1 |
| Mountain |
40.9 |
| Pacific |
52.6 |
Percent Who
Favor Federal Safety Regulations for Gun Design8
| United States |
72.5 |
| New England |
71.2 |
| Middle Atlantic |
75.0 |
| East North Central |
68.5 |
| West North Central |
74.0 |
| South Atlantic |
74.5 |
| East South Central |
68.9 |
| West South Central |
76.5 |
| Mountain |
67.0 |
| Pacific |
72.5 |
Percent Who
Want Concealed Carry Licenses Restricted9
| United States |
57.0 |
| New England |
61.8 |
| Middle Atlantic |
68.6 |
| East North Central |
62.0 |
| West North Central |
60.1 |
| South Atlantic |
54.9 |
| East South Central |
37.9 |
| West South Central |
42.2 |
| Mountain |
58.5 |
| Pacific |
57.9 |
Information
for the States of California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas
This section
contains selected information on the public's attitudes on guns
for the states of California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas
from Attitudes Towards and Experiences with Guns: A State-Level
Perspective.
Percent Who Want a Law Banning the Possession of Handguns10
|
California
|
36.9 |
|
New York
|
58.8 |
|
Pennsylvania
|
36.9 |
|
Texas
|
31.4 |
Gun Ownership by Type11 Compared to Support for a Handgun Ban12
| State |
Handgun Only |
Both Handgun and Long Gun |
Total Handgun Ownership |
Support for Handgun Ban |
| California |
7.0 |
15.6 |
22.6 |
36.9 |
| New York |
2.7 |
8.2 |
10.9 |
58.8 |
| Pennsylvania |
4.2 |
16.3 |
20.5 |
36.9 |
| Texas |
7.3 |
22.3 |
29.6 |
31.4 |
Percent Who
Have a Gun in Household13
| California |
31.0 |
| New York |
20.4 |
| Pennsylvania |
34.5 |
| Texas |
44.6 |
Percent Who
Say Guns Make Homes Less Safe14
| California |
52.4 |
| New York |
58.8 |
| Pennsylvania |
45.4 |
| Texas |
40.5 |
Percent Who
Favor Federal Safety Regulations for Gun Design15
| California |
74.3 |
| New York |
78.8 |
| Pennsylvania |
72.0 |
| Texas |
76.8 |
Percent Who
Want Concealed Carry Licenses Restricted16
| California |
65.0 |
| New York |
73.1 |
| Pennsylvania |
60.2 |
| Texas |
39.7 |
- The nine
census regions are: New England, Middle Atlantic, East North Central,
West North Central, South Atlantic, East South Central, West South
Central, Mountain, and Pacific. Please see page three for a listing
of the states contained in each census region.
- The four
states are California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
- Question
wording: "Do you think there should be a law that would ban the
possession of handguns except for the police and other authorized
persons?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you happen to have, in your home, car, or garage,
any guns? Are any of them handguns? Are any of them shotguns?
Are any of them rifles?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you think there should be a law that would ban the
possession of handguns except for the police and other authorized
persons?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you happen to have, in your home, car, or garage,
any guns?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you think that a gun makes a home much safer, safer,
less safe, or much less safe?" Percent indicates those responding
"less safe" or "much less safe." Source: National Gun Policy Survey,
1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Would you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly
oppose government safety regulations for the design of guns?"
Percent indicates those responding "strongly favor" or "favor."
Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Should licenses to carry concealed firearms be issued
to any adult who has passed a criminal background check and a
gun safety course or only to people with a special need to carry
a concealed gun such as private detectives?" Percent indicates
those responding "only to people with a special need." Source:
National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you think there should be a law that would ban the
possession of handguns except for the police and other authorized
persons?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you happen to have, in your home, car, or garage,
any guns? Are any of them handguns? Are any of them shotguns?
Are any of them rifles?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you think there should be a law that would ban the
possession of handguns except for the police and other authorized
persons?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you happen to have, in your home, car, or garage,
any guns?" Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Do you think that a gun makes a home much safer, safer,
less safe, or much less safe?" Percent indicates those responding
"less safe" or "much less safe." Source: National Gun Policy Survey,
1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Would you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly
oppose government safety regulations for the design of guns?"
Percent indicates those responding "strongly favor" or "favor."
Source: National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
- Question
wording: "Should licenses to carry concealed firearms be issued
to any adult who has passed a criminal background check and a
gun safety course or only to people with a special need to carry
a concealed gun such as private detectives?" Percent indicates
those responding "only to people with a special need." Source:
National Gun Policy Survey, 1996-1998.
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