4/25/2007

Finally a survey that asks people if they want less gun control

For those interested, I have a chapter in my book, The Bias Against Guns, on the bias in polling. One type of bias consistently took the form of the option given respondants. While I would still like to see a question that asks what would decrease crime that included all these options, this is surely a start.

As to the results, while 47% want more regulations, at least 49% either want things to stay the same or reduce the regulations. Hardly the typical claim that most Americans what more regulations.

Should gun laws be made more strict, less strict, or remain as they are?

More strict 47%

Less strict 11%

Remain as they are 38%

Not sure 4%

Source: Ipsos-Public Affairs / Associated Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 996 American adults, conducted from Apr. 17 to Apr. 19, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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3 Comments:

Blogger MaverickNH said...

ABC's online "non-scientific" poll, with votes >100,000, showed >70% not favoring more gun laws as a solution.

I wonder if the added %, compared to a presumably "scientific" poll, reflects the pro-gun side's ability to mobilize internet votes compared to the anti-gun side's network?

4/26/2007 9:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The data does not disagree with the claim either:
85% of Americans want to either keep current laws or add more restrictions. That is a vast majority, as compared to only 11% that want less strict gun control.
Indeed grouping the "remain as they are" with either of the groups that desire change will push the total towards that point of view.

4/27/2007 9:35 PM  
Blogger John Lott said...

Dear Anonymous:

My point is that at least there isn't plurality support to make things worse.

4/28/2007 1:39 AM  

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