{"id":25287,"date":"2011-01-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-19T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2011\/01\/19\/no-shift-toward-gun-control-after-tucson-shootings\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T00:04:36","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T05:04:36","slug":"no-shift-toward-gun-control-after-tucson-shootings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2011\/01\/19\/no-shift-toward-gun-control-after-tucson-shootings\/","title":{"rendered":"No Shift Toward Gun Control After Tucson Shootings"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the wake of the Tucson shootings, there is no significant change in public views on the issue of gun control and gun rights.<\/p>\n\n

Currently, 49% of Americans say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns, while 46% say it is more important to control gun ownership. In September 2010, 50% prioritized gun control, 46% gun rights. In this regard, there is no sign that the longer trend toward an emphasis on gun owners’ rights has abated.<\/p>\n\n

\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n

The issue remains a deeply divisive one along party lines — by a 72%-to-22% margin Republicans say protecting gun rights is more important, while by a 70%-to-26% margin Democrats prioritize gun control. Independents are more divided, with 52% favoring gun rights and 44% gun control. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

For a comprehensive look at opinions on the gun issue, see “Views of Gun Control — A Detailed Demographic Breakdown<\/a>,” Jan. 13.<\/p>\n\n

Perhaps one reason that attitudes remained stable was how few saw the events in Tucson as a sign of broader social problems. Most (58%) Americans say things like this are just the isolated acts of troubled individuals. Only about half as many (31%) saw the shooting in Tucson as a reflection of broader problems in American society.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n

By comparison, Americans were more likely to see broader problems behind the Virginia Tech shootings nearly four years ago — at that time, 46% thought the tragic events reflected broader societal problems.<\/p>\n\n

Those who see broader social problems behind the shooting offer a variety of explanations. When asked to describe, in their own words, what the tragedy reflects in society, 27% point to problems in the social climate, such as the breakdown of society, the way children are raised, a lack of civility, respect, discipline and a general move away from religion, God and morality.<\/p>\n\n

But nearly as many (21%) believe that the shooting reflected problems in the political and media environment, such as political divisiveness and the impression that so many people are deeply unhappy with government these days.<\/p>\n\n

Another 14% of those who see the Tucson shooting as reflective of broader social problems specifically mentioned problems in the mental health system, and 13% referred to weak gun laws that make it too easy for people to get guns. Slightly fewer (9%) described economic stress and unemployment as factors behind the shooting.<\/p>\n\n

View the topline<\/a> and survey methodology<\/a> at pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The public remains divided — and deeply so along party lines — on the issue of gun control and gun rights. Most Americans say tragic events like the shooting are just the isolated acts of troubled individuals, and not a reflection of broader problems in American society.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"Most Point to Troubled Individuals, Not Broader Societal Problems","sub_title":"Most Point to Troubled Individuals, Not Broader Societal Problems","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_api_pending":"","apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_hidden":false,"relatedPosts":[],"reportMaterials":[],"multiSectionReport":[],"package_parts__enabled":false,"package_parts":[],"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"bylines":[2134],"collection":[],"datasets":[],"level_of_effort":[],"primary_audience":[],"information_type":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[458],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[515],"research-teams":[520],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-25287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gun-policy","bylines-tom-rosentiel","formats-report","regions-countries-united-states","research-teams-politics"],"label":false,"post_parent":0,"word_count":382,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2011\/01\/19\/no-shift-toward-gun-control-after-tucson-shootings\/","art_direction":false,"_embeds":[],"watchers":[],"table_of_contents":[],"report_materials":"","report_pagination":{"current_post":null,"next_post":null,"previous_post":null,"pagination_items":[]},"parent_info":{"parent_title":"No Shift Toward Gun Control After Tucson Shootings","parent_id":25287},"materialsOrdered":[],"chaptersOrdered":[],"partsOrdered":[],"partsEnabled":false,"datacite_doi":"","prc_seo_data":{"title":"No Shift Toward Gun Control After Tucson Shootings","description":"The public remains divided -- and deeply so along party lines -- on the issue of gun control and gun rights. 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