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     Guns               See also: Crime
Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

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Quinnipiac University Poll. July 8-13, 2008. N=1,783 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 2.3.

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"Do you support or oppose stricter gun control laws in the United States?"

.
Support Oppose Unsure    
% % %    

7/8-13/08

 54 40 5    

.

"Would you support or oppose amending the United States Constitution to ban individual gun ownership?"

.
Support Oppose Unsure    
% % %    

7/8-13/08

 17 78 6    

 

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. June 4-5, 2008. N=1,035 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Part of the debate about gun ownership hinges on how we interpret the U.S. constitution. The exact words of the constitution are as follows: 'A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon.' Do you think these words guarantee each person the right to own a gun, or do they protect the right of citizens to form a militia without implying that each individual has the right to own a gun?"

.
Right of
Each Person
To Own a Gun		 Right of
Citizens to
Form a Militia		 Unsure    
% % %    

6/4-5/08

 67 30 4    

12/6-9/07

 65 31 5    

.

"Thinking about specific ways that the government has dealt with guns in the past, do you favor or oppose each of the following? . . ."

.
Favor Oppose Unsure    
% % %    

.

"Preventing certain people, such as convicted felons or people with mental health problems, from owning guns"

6/4-5/08

 88 12 1    

.

"Requiring people who purchase a gun to wait a certain number of days before they receive that gun"

6/4-5/08

 86 14 -    

.

"Requiring gun owners to register their guns with the local government"

6/4-5/08

 79 20 -    

.

"Limiting the number of guns an individual can own"

6/4-5/08

 51 48 1    

.

"Preventing gun owners from carrying a concealed gun in public"

6/4-5/08

 48 52 1    

.

"Preventing all Americans from owning guns"

6/4-5/08

 13 87 -    

 

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Abt SRBI. April 23-27, 2008. N=1,502 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3. April 2007 & earlier conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International.

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"Would you favor or oppose a law that banned the sale of handguns?"

.
Favor Oppose Unsure    
% % %    

4/23-27/08

 36 59 5    

4/18-22/07

 37 55 8    

3/15-19/00

 47 47 6    

9/99

 46 50 4    

5/99

 44 50 6    

12/93

 45 51 4    

.

"What do you think is more important -- to protect the right of Americans to own guns, or to control gun ownership?"

.
Right To
Own Guns		 Control
Ownership		 Unsure    
% % %    

4/23-27/08

 37 58 5    

11/07

 42 55 3    

4/18-22/07

 32 60 8    

2/04

 37 58 5    

6/03

 42 54 4    

5/00

 38 57 5    

4/00

 37 55 8    

3/00

 29 66 5    

6/99

 33 62 5    

5/99

 30 65 5    

12/93

 34 57 9    

 

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 8-10, 2008. N=1,016 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Would you like to see gun laws in this country made more strict, less strict, or remain as they are?"

.
More Strict Less Strict Remain
As Are		 Unsure  
% % % %  
2/8-10/08 49 11 38 2  
1/4-6/08 47 13 36 3  
1/15-18/07 49 14 35 2  
1/9-12/06 51 14 32 2  
1/3-5/05 52 12 35 1  
1/04 53 12 34 1  
1/03 51 15 33 1  
1/02 53 14 32 1  
1/01 54 14 31 1  

.

"Do you believe the Second Amendment to the U.S. constitution guarantees the rights of Americans to own guns, or do you believe it only guarantees members of state militias such as National Guard units the right to own guns?"

.
Guarantees
Rights of
Americans		 Guarantees
Members of
State Militias		 Unsure    
% % %    
2/8-10/08 73 20 7    

 

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 6-9, 2007. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3 (for all adults).

.

"Part of the debate about gun ownership hinges on how we interpret the U.S. constitution. The exact words of the constitution are as follows: 'A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon.' Do you think these words guarantee each person the right to own a gun, or do they protect the right of citizens to form a militia without implying that each individual has the right to own a gun?"

.
Right of
Each Person
To Own a Gun		 Right of
Citizens to
Form a Militia		      
% %      

ALL adults

 65 31      

    Men

 72 26      

    Women

 58 35      

    Urban

 50 42      

    Suburban

 64 32      

    Rural

 73 23      

 

Gallup Poll. Oct. 4-7, 2007. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"In general, do you feel that the laws covering the sale of firearms should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now?"

.
More Strict Less Strict Kept as Now Unsure
% % % %
10/4-7/07 51 8 39 2
10/9-12/06 56 9 33 2
10/13-16/05 57 7 35 1
10/11-14/04 54 11 34 1
1/9-11/04 60 6 34 -
10/6-8/03 55 9 36 -
10/14-17/02 51 11 36 2
10/11-14/01 53 8 38 1
5/5-7/00 62 5 31 2
4/00 61 7 30 2
12/99 60 10 29 1
8/99 66 6 27 1
6/99 62 6 31 1
5/99 65 5 28 2
4/99 66 7 25 2
2/99 60 9 29 2
4/95 62 12 24 2
12/93 67 7 25 1
3/93 70 4 24 2

.
1991 68 5 25 2
1990 78 2 17 3

.
"Do you think there should or should not be a law that would ban the possession of handguns, except by the police and other authorized persons?"

.
Should Should Not Unsure
% % %
10/4-7/07 30 68 2
10/9-12/06 32 66 2
10/13-16/05 35 64 1
10/11-14/04 36 63 1
10/6-8/03 32 67 1
10/14-17/02 32 65 3
8/29 - 9/5/00 36 62 2
4/99 38 59 3
2/99 34 64 2
12/93 39 60 1
3/93 42 54 4
3/91 43 53 4
9/90 41 55 4
1988 37 59 4
10/87 42 50 8
6/81 41 54 5

.
"In terms of gun laws in the United States, which of the following would you prefer to see happen: enforce the current gun laws more strictly and NOT pass new gun laws, or pass new gun laws in addition to enforcing the current laws more strictly?" Options rotated

.
Enforce
Current Laws		 Pass
New Laws		 Unsure
% % %
10/4-7/07 58 38 4
10/9-12/06 53 43 4
2/8-10/02 60 38 2
8/29 - 9/5/00 53 45 2
4/28-30/00 51 44 5

.
"Now, thinking about your own situation: Do you have a gun in your home?"

.
Yes No Unsure
% % %
10/4-7/07 42 57 1
10/9-12/06 43 54 3
10/13-16/05 40 59 1
10/11-14/04 38 61 1

 

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 4-6, 2007. N=1,028 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Would you like to see gun laws in this country made more strict, less strict, or remain as they are?"

.
More Strict Less Strict Remain as
They Are		 Unsure  
% % % %  

5/4-6/07

 50 9 40 1  

 

ABC News Poll. April 22, 2007. N=788 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.5. Fieldwork by TNS.

.

"Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws in this country?"

.
Favor Oppose Unsure    
% % %    

4/22/07

 61 36 3    

10/06

 61 37 2    

5/02

 57 37 6    

1/01

 59 39 2    

5/00

 67 30 3    

4/00

 64 34 2    

9/99

 63 35 2    

8/99

 63 34 3    

5/99

 67 31 1    

.

"Would you support or oppose a law requiring a nationwide ban on [see below]?"

.
Support Oppose Unsure    
% % %    

.

"Semi-automatic handguns, which automatically re-load every time the trigger is pulled"

   4/22/07

 55 41 3    

.

"The sale of assault weapons"

   4/22/07

 67 30 3    

   5/00

 71 27 2