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    Chapter 4.3

    Guns

    In the General Social Survey, the share living in a household with a gun was 6.8 points higher among Republicans than Democrats in 1973 to 1980 and 27.7 points higher in 2016 to 2024.

    Affiliation
    NYU Stern
    Published

    In the General Social Survey (GSS), the share of Democrats living in a household with a gun fell by 22.022.0 percentage pointsEstimandfall in the weighted share, early period minus late period (two separate samples); the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI 19.7 to 24.4n9,265Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod1973 to 1980 to 2016 to 2024SourceGeneral Social Survey pointsPercentage pointThe unit for the difference between two percentages. A change from one share to another is stated in points, not in percent, so that absolute and relative change are not confused. between the surveys of 1973 to 1980 and those of 2016 to 2024, while the Republican share changed by −1.2 (95% CI −4.4 to 2.0)−1.2 percentage pointsEstimandlate-period share minus early-period share (two separate samples); the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI −4.4 to 2.0n5,842Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationRepublican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod1973 to 1980 to 2016 to 2024SourceGeneral Social Survey points, an interval that includes zero.Democrats and Republicans include independents who say they lean toward a party, the leanersPartisan leanerA respondent who first says they are independent but, when asked, says they lean toward one party. Most figures group leaners with the party they lean toward, and each chapter says which grouping it uses., throughout the essay; independents are the respondents who lean toward neither. On requiring a police permit to buy a gun, the larger change over the same years was Republican. Each party gap widened mostly through one party, the household gun through Democrats and the permit through Republicans.

    Household gun ownership fell among Democrats and changed less among Republicans

    In the surveys of 1973 to 1980, 47%47.3% percent of respondents who answered the itemEstimandweighted share; the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI 45.6% to 49.1%n4,054Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod1973 to 1980 (GSS surveys of 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1980, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey of Democrats and 54%54.2% percent of respondents who answered the itemEstimandweighted share; the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI 51.9% to 56.5%n2,220Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationRepublican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod1973 to 1980 (GSS surveys of 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1980, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey of Republicans lived in a household with a gun. In the surveys of 2016 to 2024 the Republican share was 53%53.0% percent of respondents who answered the itemEstimandweighted share; the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI 50.8% to 55.2%n3,622Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationRepublican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod2016 to 2024 (GSS surveys of 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey and the Democratic share 25%25.3% percent of respondents who answered the itemEstimandweighted share; the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI 23.7% to 26.9%n5,211Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod2016 to 2024 (GSS surveys of 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey. The gap between the Republican and Democratic shares was 6.86.8 percentage pointsEstimandweighted Republican share minus weighted Democratic share; the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI 4.0 to 9.7n6,274Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic and Republican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod1973 to 1980 (GSS surveys of 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1980, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey points in 1973 to 1980 and 27.727.7 percentage pointsEstimandweighted Republican share minus weighted Democratic share; the GSS gun in the home question (owngun), answer yesInterval95% CI 24.9 to 30.4n8,833Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic and Republican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS gun in the home questionPeriod2016 to 2024 (GSS surveys of 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey points in 2016 to 2024, and the growth is on the Democratic side. A gun in the home was an answer that cut across the parties in the 1970s and came to follow them. Independents fell with the Democrats.

    Figure 1 plots the share with a gun in the home in each GSS survey year that asked the question. The Democratic line falls in steps. The share was lower in 2000 than in 1996 and lower again by 2010, and from 2016 to 2024 it changed by an amount whose interval includes zero. The Republican line is not flat. The share was lower in the surveys of 1998 to 2006 than in the 1970s and was back near its early level from 2008 on, so the pooled comparison hides a dip. Whether the Republican change differs from zero depends on how the data are cut. Its interval lies below zero among respondents interviewed in person in 2016 to 2024 and includes zero among those interviewed on the web, and every cut puts it far below the Democratic fall.

    Figure 1

    Household gun ownership fell among Democrats and independents and changed less among Republicans

    Share of respondents with a gun in the home, by party identification; leaners are in the parties and independents lean toward neither; General Social Survey, 1973 to 2024; 95% intervals

    Show data
    Data for Household gun ownership fell among Democrats and independents and changed less among Republicans
    MeasureGroupYearShare (%)LowerUpperRespondents
    Household has a gunDemocrats197343.840.047.5797
    Household has a gunDemocrats197444.040.347.8817
    Household has a gunDemocrats197647.844.051.6823
    Household has a gunDemocrats197751.848.055.5868
    Household has a gunDemocrats198049.144.753.5749
    Household has a gunDemocrats198248.244.252.11,098
    Household has a gunDemocrats198442.137.746.5748
    Household has a gunDemocrats198545.941.450.5747
    Household has a gunDemocrats198744.040.247.91,020
    Household has a gunDemocrats198839.034.143.9481
    Household has a gunDemocrats198942.437.447.5478
    Household has a gunDemocrats199040.334.845.9385
    Household has a gunDemocrats199143.638.249.0425
    Household has a gunDemocrats199341.036.245.9503
    Household has a gunDemocrats199439.135.642.7937
    Household has a gunDemocrats199639.235.642.9874
    Household has a gunDemocrats199832.128.635.7879
    Household has a gunDemocrats200029.125.532.7819
    Household has a gunDemocrats200232.327.037.7408
    Household has a gunDemocrats200430.325.035.6394
    Household has a gunDemocrats200629.025.232.8845
    Household has a gunDemocrats200827.723.431.9634
    Household has a gunDemocrats201021.317.125.5571
    Household has a gunDemocrats201225.921.630.2597
    Household has a gunDemocrats201425.521.829.1781
    Household has a gunDemocrats201622.018.525.4894
    Household has a gunDemocrats201823.819.827.8705
    Household has a gunDemocrats202125.422.927.91,819
    Household has a gunDemocrats202227.723.432.1963
    Household has a gunDemocrats202427.423.031.7830
    Household has a gunIndependents197356.547.365.7138
    Household has a gunIndependents197447.438.356.5144
    Household has a gunIndependents197646.139.053.3235
    Household has a gunIndependents197748.940.757.1174
    Household has a gunIndependents198046.638.754.5246
    Household has a gunIndependents198249.741.557.9219
    Household has a gunIndependents198437.228.645.7160
    Household has a gunIndependents198742.534.350.6197
    Household has a gunIndependents198944.935.354.5124
    Household has a gunIndependents199437.830.944.7246
    Household has a gunIndependents199640.934.747.0305
    Household has a gunIndependents199830.124.336.0311
    Household has a gunIndependents200028.423.233.7361
    Household has a gunIndependents200228.820.537.2166
    Household has a gunIndependents200431.923.240.6145
    Household has a gunIndependents200629.223.934.5413
    Household has a gunIndependents200827.620.734.5221
    Household has a gunIndependents201031.724.139.3225
    Household has a gunIndependents201226.719.733.6252
    Household has a gunIndependents201422.917.528.3316
    Household has a gunIndependents201631.825.238.4304
    Household has a gunIndependents201831.324.238.5267
    Household has a gunIndependents202125.421.629.1785
    Household has a gunIndependents202223.517.729.3535
    Household has a gunIndependents202429.924.435.4544
    Household has a gunRepublicans197354.749.959.6473
    Household has a gunRepublicans197452.347.157.4428
    Household has a gunRepublicans197654.048.759.3410
    Household has a gunRepublicans197755.650.660.6461
    Household has a gunRepublicans198054.148.559.6448
    Household has a gunRepublicans198253.548.059.0495
    Household has a gunRepublicans198455.349.960.8522
    Household has a gunRepublicans198547.442.552.3607
    Household has a gunRepublicans198751.746.956.5563
    Household has a gunRepublicans198851.245.556.9358
    Household has a gunRepublicans198952.547.257.9417
    Household has a gunRepublicans199049.343.854.8409
    Household has a gunRepublicans199145.840.551.0416
    Household has a gunRepublicans199352.547.058.0418
    Household has a gunRepublicans199451.547.555.6733
    Household has a gunRepublicans199649.645.653.7703
    Household has a gunRepublicans199846.542.150.8630
    Household has a gunRepublicans200047.142.851.5609
    Household has a gunRepublicans200247.641.253.9319
    Household has a gunRepublicans200445.038.951.1326
    Household has a gunRepublicans200644.039.548.5666
    Household has a gunRepublicans200850.445.055.9441
    Household has a gunRepublicans201048.842.754.8398
    Household has a gunRepublicans201253.647.259.9385
    Household has a gunRepublicans201452.147.157.1502
    Household has a gunRepublicans201645.840.950.7576
    Household has a gunRepublicans201852.146.457.8490
    Household has a gunRepublicans202154.651.258.11,177
    Household has a gunRepublicans202251.745.358.1667
    Household has a gunRepublicans202458.153.163.1712
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats197343.840.047.5797
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats197444.040.347.8817
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats197647.844.051.6823
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats197751.848.055.5868
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats198049.144.753.5749
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats198248.244.252.11,098
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats198442.137.746.5748
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats198545.941.450.5747
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats198744.040.247.91,020
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats198839.034.143.9481
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats198942.437.447.5478
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats199040.334.845.9385
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats199143.638.249.0425
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats199341.036.245.9503
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats199439.135.642.7937
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats199639.235.642.9874
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats199832.128.635.7879
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats200029.125.532.7819
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats200232.327.037.7408
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats200428.822.734.9297
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats200629.225.433.0793
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats200829.224.533.8556
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats201021.316.925.8511
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats201225.721.030.3522
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats201425.821.929.8678
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats201622.418.826.0828
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats201824.720.429.0633
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats202228.822.435.3432
    Household has a gun (in person)Democrats202425.418.332.5284
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents197356.547.365.7138
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents197447.438.356.5144
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents197646.139.053.3235
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents197748.940.757.1174
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents198046.638.754.5246
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents198249.741.557.9219
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents198437.228.645.7160
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents198742.534.350.6197
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents198944.935.354.5124
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents199437.830.944.7246
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents199640.934.747.0305
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents199830.124.336.0311
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents200028.423.233.7361
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents200228.820.537.2166
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents200627.922.433.3389
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents200827.319.934.7190
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents201031.823.739.9203
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents201226.719.234.2221
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents201422.917.028.8264
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents201631.324.538.1290
    Household has a gun (in person)Independents201830.923.138.7229
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans197354.749.959.6473
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans197452.347.157.4428
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans197654.048.759.3410
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans197755.650.660.6461
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans198054.148.559.6448
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans198253.548.059.0495
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans198455.349.960.8522
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans198547.442.552.3607
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans198751.746.956.5563
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans198851.245.556.9358
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans198952.547.257.9417
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans199049.343.854.8409
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans199145.840.551.0416
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans199352.547.058.0418
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans199451.547.555.6733
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans199649.645.653.7703
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans199846.542.150.8630
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans200047.142.851.5609
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans200247.641.253.9319
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans200442.435.749.1261
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans200643.338.847.9623
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans200850.344.656.0393
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans201048.442.154.7358
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans201255.448.762.0321
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans201450.845.556.1441
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans201646.341.251.4536
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans201852.046.057.9441
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans202250.440.860.0307
    Household has a gun (in person)Republicans202451.242.260.3244
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats198029.625.633.7733
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats198228.825.232.41,077
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats198423.920.127.8747
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats198528.924.833.1746
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats198726.823.330.21,013
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats198825.220.829.5479
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats198925.120.729.6477
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats199025.420.530.3385
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats199130.125.135.1423
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats199328.323.932.8503
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats199425.322.228.5937
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats199624.120.927.4870
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats199819.616.622.5878
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats200018.315.321.4819
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats200223.418.628.3408
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats200420.615.925.3393
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats200619.015.722.2845
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats200818.414.722.1634
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats201014.310.717.9571
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats201216.913.220.6596
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats201415.812.818.9780
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats201613.911.116.8894
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats201814.611.318.0705
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats202116.714.618.91,818
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats202217.013.420.7963
    Respondent owns a gunDemocrats202415.411.919.0829
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents198026.919.834.0240
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents198232.825.040.6214
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents198423.115.630.5160
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents198728.020.635.5195
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents198926.417.834.9123
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents199426.920.633.2246
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents199625.319.930.8304
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents199819.214.224.2310
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents200019.114.623.7361
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents200217.410.424.3166
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents200422.915.030.7144
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents200616.712.421.1413
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents200818.012.124.0221
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents201019.012.625.4225
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents201215.69.921.3252
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents201416.511.821.3316
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents201616.911.522.2302
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents201820.314.026.5266
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents202119.015.722.4785
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents202214.89.919.6535
    Respondent owns a gunIndependents202422.117.127.1544
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans198031.526.236.7437
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans198233.928.639.2481
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans198428.323.433.2521
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans198529.625.134.1605
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans198730.926.435.4559
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans198829.123.934.3357
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans198930.225.335.2414
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans199031.726.636.8407
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans199130.025.134.9414
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans199334.028.839.2417
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans199432.328.536.1731
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans199632.528.736.2702
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans199830.826.734.8627
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans200031.927.836.0608
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans200237.531.443.7319
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans200430.524.836.1326
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans200628.824.732.9665
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans200833.628.538.8441
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans201032.126.537.8397
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans201236.630.442.8384
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans201438.833.943.7501
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans201632.728.137.3575
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans201834.829.340.3490
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans202141.838.445.21,172
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans202240.734.447.0663
    Respondent owns a gunRepublicans202438.733.843.7710
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats198029.625.633.7733
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats198228.825.232.41,077
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats198423.920.127.8747
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats198528.924.833.1746
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats198726.823.330.21,013
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats198825.220.829.5479
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats198925.120.729.6477
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats199025.420.530.3385
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats199130.125.135.1423
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats199328.323.932.8503
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats199425.322.228.5937
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats199624.120.927.4870
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats199819.616.622.5878
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats200018.315.321.4819
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats200223.418.628.3408
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats200420.314.925.7296
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats200619.416.022.7793
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats200819.615.623.7556
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats201015.011.118.9511
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats201216.412.420.3521
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats201415.812.519.1677
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats201614.111.117.1828
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats201815.411.819.0633
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats202216.711.422.0432
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Democrats202414.99.120.8284
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents198026.919.834.0240
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents198232.825.040.6214
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents198423.115.630.5160
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents198728.020.635.5195
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents198926.417.834.9123
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents199426.920.633.2246
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents199625.319.930.8304
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents199819.214.224.2310
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents200019.114.623.7361
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents200217.410.424.3166
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents200616.512.021.0389
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents200817.511.223.8190
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents201019.012.225.9203
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents201216.410.222.6221
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents201415.910.721.0264
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents201616.010.621.4288
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Independents201820.713.927.6228
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans198031.526.236.7437
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans198233.928.639.2481
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans198428.323.433.2521
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans198529.625.134.1605
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans198730.926.435.4559
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans198829.123.934.3357
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans198930.225.335.2414
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans199031.726.636.8407
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans199130.025.134.9414
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans199334.028.839.2417
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans199432.328.536.1731
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans199632.528.736.2702
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans199830.826.734.8627
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans200031.927.836.0608
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans200237.531.443.7319
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans200427.921.834.0261
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans200628.023.932.1622
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans200832.026.637.3393
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans201032.026.137.9357
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans201238.832.345.3321
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans201438.333.243.5440
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans201633.128.337.9535
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans201834.428.740.1441
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans202238.328.947.6306
    Respondent owns a gun (in person)Republicans202434.425.943.0244

    Follow the two colored lines. The Democratic line falls from the 1970s to the 2010s, and the Republican line dips in the surveys of 1998 to 2006 and ends, pooled over 2016 to 2024, near its 1970s level. The grey line is independents, who follow the Democratic line down. Each point is one survey year, the bands on the party lines are 95% intervals, and the shaded band marks the GSS move from in-person to web interviews. The other views keep respondents interviewed in person and show personal ownership, asked from 1980. Values in Table 2.

    Note: Household ownership is the answer of one respondent about the home, asked from 1973. Personal ownership is a follow-up to respondents who report a gun in the home, asked from 1980; respondents with no gun in the home count as not owning.Note: In-person views keep respondents interviewed in person and every survey before 2004, which was in person by design; the 2021 survey has no in-person respondents, so those lines break. A line also breaks where fewer than 150 respondents in a party were interviewed in person.Note: Refused answers are left out of every view. Republican respondents refused the household question more often than Democrats in 2016 to 2024, and the text bounds the effect. An independent cell is drawn only where it has at least 100 respondents and an effective sample of at least 100.Note: GSS interviews were mostly in person through 2018, mostly on the web in 2021, and in both modes in 2022 and 2024.Source: General Social Survey, 1972-2024; weighted (weight_use)

    How the GSS asks about guns

    The GSS is a survey of American adults in which one respondent answers for the home. It has asked whether there is a gun in the home since 1973, and about 48,00047,521 respondentsEstimandcount of respondents with a yes or no answer to owngunWeightsnone (count)PopulationGSS respondents who answered the gun in the home questionPeriod1973-2024SourceGeneral Social Survey respondents answered yes or no through 2024; respondents who refused are left out. Each share is weightedSurvey weightsNumbers that scale each respondent so the sample matches the population on known traits such as age, race, education and region. A weighted average counts a respondent with a large weight for more than one with a small weight. so that the sample matches the population on known traits, and every band on the charts is a 95% confidence intervalConfidence intervalA range around an estimate that would contain the true value in 95% of repeated samples if the sampling model held. The book reports 95% intervals unless it says otherwise.. The survey also changed how it interviews. It was mostly in person through 2018, mostly on the web in 2021, and in both modes in 2022 and 2024. A change of modeSurvey modeHow respondents were interviewed: in person, by phone, on paper or online. Mode can change answers, so a change in mode can look like a change in opinion. can move an answer without any change in the public. The household ownership gap is above zero in each mode, in person and on the web. The report gives every estimate with its interval and sample size.

    Support for a police permit fell among Republicans

    Owning a gun and favoring a gun law are different answers. Since 1972 the GSS has also asked whether respondents favor a law requiring a police permit before buying a gun. In 1973 to 1980, 71%71.0% percent of respondents who answered the itemEstimandweighted share; the GSS question on a police permit to buy a gun (gunlaw), answer favorInterval95% CI 69.0% to 72.9%n2,646Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationRepublican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS police permit questionPeriod1973 to 1980 (GSS surveys of 1973 to 1977 and 1980, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey of Republicans were in favor, and in 2016 to 2024 the Republican share was 54%53.5% percent of respondents who answered the itemEstimandweighted share; the GSS question on a police permit to buy a gun (gunlaw), answer favorInterval95% CI 51.3% to 55.7%n3,772Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationRepublican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS police permit questionPeriod2016 to 2024 (GSS surveys of 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey. The Democratic share, already higher in the 1970s, rose by 7.87.8 percentage pointsEstimandrise in the weighted share, late period minus early period (two separate samples); the GSS question on a police permit to buy a gun (gunlaw), answer favorInterval95% CI 5.9 to 9.8n10,024Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS police permit questionPeriod1973 to 1980 to 2016 to 2024SourceGeneral Social Survey points between the two periods. The Republican fall is larger than the Democratic rise, so this gap opened mostly on the Republican side, where the household ownership gap opened on the Democratic side. The Republican share in 2016 to 2024 still has an interval above an even split, so most Republican identifiers in these surveys favor a permit, as do 69%68.7% percent of respondents who answered the itemEstimandweighted share; the GSS question on a police permit to buy a gun (gunlaw), answer favorInterval95% CI 67.5% to 69.8%n11,884Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationall respondents who answered the GSS police permit questionPeriod2016 to 2024 (GSS surveys of 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey of all respondents. The GSS has no measure of how strongly respondents hold the view.

    The latest movement in the permit gap depends on mode. Among respondents interviewed in person the Republican share fell and the Democratic share rose as well. The gap pooled over 2016 to 2024 is smaller in person than on the web, a comparison that mixes mode and survey year. The step up between the in-person survey of 2018 and the mostly web survey of 2021 also mixes mode and time. In person, neither the 2022 nor the 2024 gap differs from the 2018 gap by more than sampling error.

    Figure 2

    Support for a police permit to buy a gun rose among Democrats and fell among Republicans

    Share favoring a police permit to buy a gun (GSS) or favoring making it more difficult to buy a gun (ANES), by party identification; leaners are in the parties and independents lean toward neither; 95% intervals

    Show data
    Data for Support for a police permit to buy a gun rose among Democrats and fell among Republicans
    Survey and answerGroupYearFileShare (%)LowerUpperRespondents
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunDemocrats2000ANES cumulative file68.965.572.3884
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunDemocrats2004ANES cumulative file68.264.072.3587
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunDemocrats2008ANES cumulative file55.752.259.11,348
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunDemocrats2012ANES cumulative file63.160.765.53,094
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunDemocrats2016ANES cumulative file74.071.776.41,935
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunDemocrats2020ANES cumulative file75.373.377.33,441
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunDemocrats2024ANES 2024 Time Series82.280.084.52,319
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunIndependents2000ANES cumulative file58.351.065.7220
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunIndependents2008ANES cumulative file49.241.556.9259
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunIndependents2012ANES cumulative file46.642.051.2780
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunIndependents2016ANES cumulative file45.941.050.9570
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunIndependents2020ANES cumulative file42.938.347.4863
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunIndependents2024ANES 2024 Time Series48.540.356.8302
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunRepublicans2000ANES cumulative file44.540.448.7675
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunRepublicans2004ANES cumulative file41.837.046.6482
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunRepublicans2008ANES cumulative file35.431.139.7652
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunRepublicans2012ANES cumulative file26.223.828.71,991
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunRepublicans2016ANES cumulative file30.928.333.51,722
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunRepublicans2020ANES cumulative file22.420.424.33,050
    ANES: more difficult to buy a gunRepublicans2024ANES 2024 Time Series31.528.634.42,070
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1972GSS75.272.078.3891
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1973GSS77.173.980.3784
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1974GSS77.274.180.4818
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1975GSS77.574.380.8793
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1976GSS74.270.977.5827
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1977GSS73.770.477.0862
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1980GSS70.866.774.8743
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1982GSS74.771.378.21,083
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1984GSS75.972.079.7740
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1985GSS77.173.380.9743
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1987GSS70.466.874.01,008
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1988GSS79.975.984.0475
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1989GSS84.180.387.9474
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1990GSS84.580.388.6377
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1991GSS82.278.086.3422
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1993GSS84.881.288.3501
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1994GSS83.781.086.4935
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1996GSS86.283.688.8861
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats1998GSS86.884.389.4874
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2000GSS86.884.189.5804
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2002GSS85.881.889.8408
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2004GSS84.980.889.1397
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2006GSS87.284.490.0838
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2008GSS84.781.388.2630
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2010GSS83.679.887.3580
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2012GSS80.877.084.7595
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2014GSS83.880.786.9787
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2016GSS79.776.483.1894
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2018GSS83.479.886.9698
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2021GSS82.280.084.51,814
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2022GSS86.282.989.6963
    GSS: favor a police permitDemocrats2024GSS83.980.387.5828
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1972GSS70.762.578.9156
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1973GSS78.370.885.9140
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1974GSS73.264.981.4139
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1975GSS70.263.377.1202
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1976GSS68.461.775.2228
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1977GSS72.565.279.9171
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1980GSS76.069.182.9237
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1982GSS74.967.882.0218
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1984GSS71.863.680.1151
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1987GSS69.461.677.3189
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1989GSS72.964.181.6120
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1994GSS79.573.785.4239
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1996GSS79.874.684.9294
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents1998GSS84.579.789.2299
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2000GSS83.579.187.9353
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2002GSS88.582.694.4164
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2004GSS82.475.489.4149
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2006GSS78.273.383.0413
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2008GSS85.580.091.0218
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2010GSS78.071.384.6231
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2012GSS74.267.381.2245
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2014GSS69.863.975.7314
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2016GSS69.062.475.6299
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2018GSS74.567.781.3261
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2021GSS61.357.265.4806
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2022GSS70.464.276.7535
    GSS: favor a police permitIndependents2024GSS68.663.074.1538
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1972GSS73.569.177.9445
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1973GSS71.366.975.7476
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1974GSS74.369.878.9423
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1975GSS71.666.976.2438
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1976GSS72.467.677.1409
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1977GSS69.965.374.6452
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1980GSS66.861.572.0448
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1982GSS68.163.073.2496
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1984GSS64.359.069.6513
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1985GSS73.469.077.7604
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1987GSS71.467.175.8560
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1988GSS70.565.375.7355
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1989GSS76.471.981.0410
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1990GSS77.973.382.4406
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1991GSS79.274.983.5417
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1993GSS79.274.783.7411
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1994GSS73.169.576.8731
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1996GSS77.173.780.5696
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans1998GSS78.374.782.0618
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2000GSS72.268.376.2609
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2002GSS72.767.178.3323
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2004GSS74.869.580.1331
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2006GSS73.869.877.7665
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2008GSS67.061.972.1446
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2010GSS63.357.769.0417
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2012GSS63.457.469.4397
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2014GSS58.353.563.1527
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2016GSS59.154.463.9599
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2018GSS60.454.866.1510
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2021GSS46.943.550.31,229
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2022GSS52.346.258.5700
    GSS: favor a police permitRepublicans2024GSS55.650.760.6734
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1972GSS75.272.078.3891
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1973GSS77.173.980.3784
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1974GSS77.274.180.4818
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1975GSS77.574.380.8793
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1976GSS74.270.977.5827
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1977GSS73.770.477.0862
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1980GSS70.866.774.8743
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1982GSS74.771.378.21,083
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1984GSS75.972.079.7740
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1985GSS77.173.380.9743
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1987GSS70.466.874.01,008
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1988GSS79.975.984.0475
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1989GSS84.180.387.9474
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1990GSS84.580.388.6377
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1991GSS82.278.086.3422
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1993GSS84.881.288.3501
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1994GSS83.781.086.4935
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1996GSS86.283.688.8861
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats1998GSS86.884.389.4874
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2000GSS86.884.189.5804
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2002GSS85.881.889.8408
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2004GSS82.877.887.8301
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2006GSS86.483.489.3787
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2008GSS83.779.987.5552
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2010GSS84.080.188.0517
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2012GSS81.377.285.5520
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2014GSS83.079.686.4685
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2016GSS79.375.882.8830
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2018GSS83.479.687.1628
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2022GSS84.579.389.7434
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Democrats2024GSS80.574.087.0282
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1972GSS70.762.578.9156
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1973GSS78.370.885.9140
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1974GSS73.264.981.4139
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1975GSS70.263.377.1202
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1976GSS68.461.775.2228
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1977GSS72.565.279.9171
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1980GSS76.069.182.9237
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1982GSS74.967.882.0218
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1984GSS71.863.680.1151
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1987GSS69.461.677.3189
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1989GSS72.964.181.6120
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1994GSS79.573.785.4239
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1996GSS79.874.684.9294
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents1998GSS84.579.789.2299
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2000GSS83.579.187.9353
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2002GSS88.582.694.4164
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2006GSS77.972.983.0387
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2008GSS84.978.990.9187
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2010GSS76.168.983.4209
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2012GSS73.265.680.8214
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2014GSS69.262.775.6264
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2016GSS69.162.375.9285
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Independents2018GSS74.166.681.6222
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1972GSS73.569.177.9445
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1973GSS71.366.975.7476
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1974GSS74.369.878.9423
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1975GSS71.666.976.2438
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1976GSS72.467.677.1409
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1977GSS69.965.374.6452
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1980GSS66.861.572.0448
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1982GSS68.163.073.2496
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1984GSS64.359.069.6513
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1985GSS73.469.077.7604
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1987GSS71.467.175.8560
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1988GSS70.565.375.7355
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1989GSS76.471.981.0410
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1990GSS77.973.382.4406
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1991GSS79.274.983.5417
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1993GSS79.274.783.7411
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1994GSS73.169.576.8731
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1996GSS77.173.780.5696
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans1998GSS78.374.782.0618
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2000GSS72.268.376.2609
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2002GSS72.767.178.3323
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2004GSS73.867.979.7265
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2006GSS72.368.276.4622
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2008GSS68.363.073.6398
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2010GSS61.855.867.8372
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2012GSS59.252.765.7333
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2014GSS56.451.361.6465
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2016GSS58.553.563.4560
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2018GSS60.654.866.3459
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2022GSS53.744.562.9322
    GSS: favor a police permit (in person)Republicans2024GSS62.153.670.7250

    The Republican line falls and the Democratic line rises, so two lines that were 4.14.1 percentage pointsEstimandweighted Democratic share minus weighted Republican share; the GSS question on a police permit to buy a gun (gunlaw), answer favorInterval95% CI 1.8 to 6.5n7,473Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic and Republican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS police permit questionPeriod1973 to 1980 (GSS surveys of 1973 to 1977 and 1980, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey points apart in 1973 to 1980 are 29.429.4 percentage pointsEstimandweighted Democratic share minus weighted Republican share; the GSS question on a police permit to buy a gun (gunlaw), answer favorInterval95% CI 26.9 to 32.0n8,969Weightsweight_use, rescaled to average one within each survey year before years are pooledPopulationDemocratic and Republican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the GSS police permit questionPeriod2016 to 2024 (GSS surveys of 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024, pooled)SourceGeneral Social Survey points apart pooled over 2016 to 2024. The grey line is independents. The bands on the party lines are 95% intervals and the shaded band marks the GSS move to web interviews. The in-person view keeps respondents interviewed in person, and the ANES view shows a different question, on making it more difficult to buy a gun, from 2000 to 2024. Values in Table 3.

    Note: Shaded band: the GSS move from in-person to web interviews between 2018 and 2021 in the GSS view, and the ANES mode change from 2016 to 2020 in the ANES view. The in-person GSS view keeps respondents interviewed in person and every survey before 2004, so its line breaks in 2021, a survey with no in-person respondents.Note: The ANES cumulative file asks the question in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. The 2024 point is the same question from the 2024 Time Series, a separate file because the cumulative file does not have the item for 2024; it is weighted with the post-election weight, and the 2020 study had no in-person interviews.Note: An independent cell is drawn only where it has at least 100 respondents and an effective sample of at least 100.Source: General Social Survey, 1972-2024, and ANES Cumulative Data File, 2000-2020, with the ANES 2024 Time Series; weighted (weight_use; VCF0009z; V240107b)

    A party gap in support for a permit could be a gap in who has guns at home, because within each party respondents with a gun in the home are less likely than those without one to favor a permit. The permit gap holds in both groups. Among respondents who answered both questions in 2016 to 2024 the gap is present among those with a gun in the home and among those without one, and it is larger among those with a gun in the home. A Democrat with a gun in the home is more likely to favor a permit than a Republican without one.

    Democrats changed more on household guns, Republicans on regulating sales

    Each survey shows its change mostly on one side of the issue. On the household gun the Democratic change is larger in size than the Republican change. The same holds in the Cooperative Election Study (CES) for the items that favor the gun side, easier concealed-carry permits and prohibiting the publication of owners' names. On the items about regulating sales, the GSS permit, the American National Election Studies (ANES) question on buying a gun, and the CES assault rifle ban, the larger change is Republican. Independents moved with the party that moved. Personal ownership and background checks do not follow the pattern. Personal ownership, a follow-up asked of respondents who report a gun in the home, fell among Democrats and rose among Republicans, and the sizes of the two changes differ by an amount whose interval includes zero. The Republican rise coincides with the web surveys and is not an established change. Support for background checks rose in both parties in the CES between 2013 and 2021.

    Figure 3

    Democrats changed more on owning and carrying guns and Republicans changed more on regulating sales, except for personal ownership and background checks

    Change in the share of Democrats and of Republicans, including leaners, giving the answer named, from the first to the last period of each survey; percentage points; 95% intervals

    • Democrats
    • Republicans
    Show data
    Data for Democrats changed more on owning and carrying guns and Republicans changed more on regulating sales, except for personal ownership and background checks
    Item and periodGroupChange (points)LowerUpperRespondents
    GSS: Household has a gun (1973-80 to 2016-24)Democrats−22.0−24.4−19.79,265
    GSS: Household has a gun (1973-80 to 2016-24)Republicans−1.2−4.42.05,842
    GSS: Respondent owns a gun (1980 to 2016-24)Democrats−13.8−18.1−9.55,942
    GSS: Respondent owns a gun (1980 to 2016-24)Republicans7.11.512.84,047
    GSS: Favor a police permit (1973-80 to 2016-24)Democrats7.85.99.810,024
    GSS: Favor a police permit (1973-80 to 2016-24)Republicans−17.5−20.4−14.66,418
    ANES: Make buying a gun more difficult (2000 to 2020)Democrats6.42.510.44,325
    ANES: Make buying a gun more difficult (2000 to 2020)Republicans−22.2−26.7−17.63,725
    CES: Background checks for all sales (2013 to 2021)Democrats1.00.11.819,944
    CES: Background checks for all sales (2013 to 2021)Republicans3.81.95.713,415
    CES: Ban assault rifles (2013 to 2021)Democrats3.21.74.719,891
    CES: Ban assault rifles (2013 to 2021)Republicans−10.5−12.7−8.313,380
    CES: Easier concealed-carry permits (2013 to 2021)Democrats−6.2−7.8−4.519,925
    CES: Easier concealed-carry permits (2013 to 2021)Republicans1.6−0.73.813,386
    CES: Prohibit publishing owners' names (2013 to 2020)Democrats−9.4−11.3−7.636,795
    CES: Prohibit publishing owners' names (2013 to 2020)Republicans−1.2−3.10.625,690

    Read each row as a pair of dots. On the household gun, concealed-carry and owners' names rows the Democratic dot sits farther from the zero line than the Republican dot. On the permit, buying a gun and assault rifle rows the Republican dot sits farther. Personal ownership and background checks break the pattern. Each dot is the later share minus the earlier share with its 95% interval, and the CES intervals rest on a model. Values in Table 9.

    Note: Period comparisons: GSS 1973 to 1980 pooled against 2016 to 2024 pooled, except personal ownership, which starts in 1980. ANES 2000 against 2020. CES first against last year each item was asked.Note: The change is in the share giving the answer named in each row, as the wording table lists. A negative value means the share fell.Source: General Social Survey, 1973-2024; ANES Cumulative Data File, 2000-2020; CES cumulative policy preferences, 2013-2021; weighted (weight_use; VCF0009z; single-wave weight)

    The size of the party gap depends on the item. Background checks for all sales draw support from both parties, and in the 2021 CES the gap was 14.314.3 percentage pointsEstimandweighted Democratic minus Republican share; the CES item on background checks for all sales (guns_bgchecks), answer supportInterval95% CI 13.2 to 15.5n20,584Weightsweight (single-wave weight)PopulationDemocratic and Republican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the CES itemPeriod2021SourceCooperative Election Study points, smaller than in 2013. In the same survey the gap on banning assault rifles was 55.855.8 percentage pointsEstimandweighted Democratic minus Republican share; the CES item on banning assault rifles (guns_assaultban), answer supportInterval95% CI 54.3 to 57.3n20,584Weightsweight (single-wave weight)PopulationDemocratic and Republican identifiers (leaners included) who answered the CES itemPeriod2021SourceCooperative Election Study points, and it had grown since 2013. Levels differ across surveys with the answers offered, so no line here joins two surveys. The pattern is a case of party sortingParty sortingThe alignment of party with other traits, such as ideology, religion, race and place, so that people who share a party also tend to share those traits., in which an answer that once cut across the parties comes to follow them, and this chapter describes it without testing any account of why. The household ownership gap appears within every census region and every kind of community in 2016 to 2024, and adjusting for region and community type lowers it by a few points and leaves most of it. The data are not evidence that having a gun in the home changed anyone's party or that party changed whether anyone kept a gun at home, a question Joslyn and coauthors take up with vote choice [1]. Chapter 4.1, The abortion sort and Chapter 4.2, Immigration follow two other issues in the same way.

    What these surveys cannot tell you

    Each survey draws a new sample, so a fall in a party's share can come from people changing their view, changing their party or being replaced by new adults, and these data cannot separate the three. The ownership measures are reports. One respondent answers for the home, husbands and wives report differently [2], and Republican respondents refuse the household question more often than Democrats, which leaves the Republican change in household ownership uncertain. Each policy item names one proposal, and the chapter has no measure of how strongly a view is held, the question Schuman and Presser asked [3]. Wording limits every comparison across surveys, so the levels differ by survey even where the gaps agree.

    Go deeper

    • The report: every estimate with its interval and sample size.
    • Tables: every figure of the report as a table.
    • Issues: the explorer for this part.

    Same question at another grain:

    Data sources

    • General Social SurveyRaw file 1972-2024: gun in the home (owngun), personally owns (rowngun), police permit (gunlaw), census region, community type (xnorcsiz), race, strata and primary sampling units (vstrat and vpsu); interview mode from the raw fileYears: 1972-2024 (35 study years) · Weights: weight_use (wtssnrps from 2004, wtssps before) · License: See the provider's terms of use.
    • ANES Cumulative Data FileCumulative Data File 1948-2024, the question on buying a gun (VCF9238) in the six studies from 2000 to 2020; mode weights for 2012 and 2016Years: 1948-2024 (33 study years; even years only after 2004; no 2006, 2010 or 2014 study) · Weights: weight (VCF0009z); weight_ftf and weight_web for the mode split · License: Free download after accepting the ANES terms of use; cite the release.
    • ANES 2024 Time Series2024 Time Series: buying a gun (V242325), background checks (V242326), assault-style rifles (V242329) and guns in the household (V241583)Years: 2024 (pre-election and post-election interviews) · Weights: V240107b (post-election); V240107a for the household item; V240101b and V240102b for the mode views · License: Free download after accepting the ANES terms of use; cite the release.
    • Cooperative Election StudyCumulative CES policy items 2010-2021: sale laws (guns_scale, 2010 and 2012), background checks, assault rifles, concealed carry and owners' names (2013-2021)Years: 2006-2024 (every year; self-reported turnout is available in the 10 even years) · Weights: weight (single-wave weight) · License: See the provider's terms of use.
    • NationscapeWeekly waves July 2019 to December 2020: household gun and six gun policy items, party with the follow-up question on leanersYears: 2019-07-18 to 2021-04-15 (85 weekly waves) · Weights: weight · License: Free after registration and acceptance of the Voter Study Group terms; also on Harvard Dataverse.

    All data sources

    References

    1. Joslyn, Mark R.; Haider-Markel, Donald P.; Baggs, Michael; Bilbo, Andrew (2017). Emerging Political Identities? Gun Ownership and Voting in Presidential Elections. Social Science Quarterly 98(2): 382-396. doi:10.1111/ssqu.12421
    2. Smith, Tom W.; Laken, Faith; Son, Jaesok (2014). Gun Ownership in the United States: Measurement Issues and Trends. GSS Methodological Report No. 123, NORC at the University of Chicago (revised October 2015). gss.norc.org/Documents/reports/methodological-reports/MR123%20Gun%20Ownership.pdf
    3. Schuman, Howard; Presser, Stanley (1977). Attitude Measurement and the Gun Control Paradox. Public Opinion Quarterly 41(4): 427-438. doi:10.1086/268405

    How to cite

    @misc{singh2026guns,
  author = {Singh, Vishal},
  title = {Guns},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://vishalsingh.org/politics/guns},
  note = {In The Public Mind. Published 3 October 2026.}
}