Gun ownership has been a constitutional right in the United States for over 200 years. But in an era of regular mass shootings and rising rates of gun violence, gun control policy is a hot-button political issue.
As with other contentious, high-profile debates in the United States, public views on gun violence and what to do about it are largely split along party lines. According to a June 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center, 81% of likely Democratic voters see gun violence as a very big problem in the U.S., compared to only 38% of likely Republican voters. (Here is a look at the most partisan issues in American politics.)
Voter attitudes on the appropriate balance between gun regulations and gun rights tend to follow a similar partisan pattern, as Democratic voters are generally more likely to support stricter gun control and Republican voters more likely to support fewer restrictions. However, a recent survey from public opinion research company Morning Consult shows that the partisan divide is not always so clear cut.
Using polling data from Morning Consult, 24/7 Wall St. identified Americans’ views on gun policy by political affiliation. We reviewed 15 policies around gun ownership in the United States, and for each, listed the share of American voters by political affiliation who either support the policy, oppose it, or have no opinion about it. Voters who support or oppose a given policy includes those who strongly support or oppose, and those who somewhat support or oppose. Policy questions listed in order of public support among all voters, from most popular to least.
Among the policies on this list, levels of support among all registered voters ranges from about 88%, on the question of whether there should be expanded screening and treatment for the mentally ill, down to just 28% on the question of repealing the 2nd Amendment.
Notably, there are four policies on this list where the support gap between Republicans and Democrats is less than 5 percentage points. The policies with broad, consensus support within both parties include required background checks for all gun sales, restricting assault-style weapon sales to adults 21 and older, and barring people who have been reported as dangerous by a mental health professional from gun ownership.
The largest gaps between voters in the two major parties are on issues related to bans of certain firearms and firearm accessories. For example, 86% of likely Democratic voters support a ban on assault-style weapons and 85% support a ban on high-capacity magazines, compared to 65% and 66% of all voters, respectively. Meanwhile, only 46% of likely Republicans support an assault weapon ban, and 48% support a high-capacity magazine ban. (Here is a look at the states with the most freedom for gun owners.)
15. Expanding screening and treatment for the mentally ill:
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- Democrats: 89.5% support; 5.8% oppose; 4.8% have no opinion
- Republicans: 87.7% support; 6.2% oppose; 6.1% have no opinion
- Independents: 85.0% support; 4.4% oppose; 10.7% have no opinion
- All voters: 87.8% support; 5.6% oppose; 6.7% have no opinion
14. Requiring background checks on all gun sales:
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- Democrats: 88.9% support; 6.5% oppose; 4.5% have no opinion
- Republicans: 84.9% support; 10.3% oppose; 4.8% have no opinion
- Independents: 88.1% support; 3.5% oppose; 8.4% have no opinion
- All voters: 87.3% support; 7.2% oppose; 5.5% have no opinion
13. Preventing sales of all firearms to people who have been reported as dangerous to law enforcement by a mental health provider:
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- Democrats: 88.7% support; 5.2% oppose; 6.1% have no opinion
- Republicans: 83.9% support; 9.4% oppose; 6.7% have no opinion
- Independents: 79.9% support; 7.9% oppose; 12.2% have no opinion
- All voters: 84.8% support; 7.4% oppose; 7.8% have no opinion
12. Making private gun sales and sales at gun shows subject to background checks:
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- Democrats: 87.7% support; 7.0% oppose; 5.3% have no opinion
- Republicans: 77.9% support; 15.4% oppose; 6.6% have no opinion
- Independents: 79.2% support; 10.0% oppose; 10.9% have no opinion
- All voters: 82.0% support; 10.8% oppose; 7.1% have no opinion
11. Requiring a person to be 21 in order to purchase an assault-style weapon:
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- Democrats: 84.3% support; 9.2% oppose; 6.5% have no opinion
- Republicans: 79.6% support; 14.7% oppose; 5.7% have no opinion
- Independents: 78.8% support; 8.6% oppose; 12.6% have no opinion
- All voters: 81.2% support; 11.1% oppose; 7.7% have no opinion
10. Preventing sales of all firearms to people who have been convicted of violent misdemeanors:
Source: Photos by: Shane T. McCoy / US Marshals
- Democrats: 85.1% support; 9.0% oppose; 5.9% have no opinion
- Republicans: 78.8% support; 14.2% oppose; 7.0% have no opinion
- Independents: 78.1% support; 9.9% oppose; 11.9% have no opinion
- All voters: 81.1% support; 11.2% oppose; 7.7% have no opinion
9. Requiring a person to be 21 in order to purchase a gun:
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- Democrats: 87.7% support; 7.7% oppose; 4.6% have no opinion
- Republicans: 74.4% support; 19.3% oppose; 6.3% have no opinion
- Independents: 80.0% support; 11.5% oppose; 8.5% have no opinion
- All voters: 81.0% support; 12.9% oppose; 6.2% have no opinion
8. Barring gun purchases by people on the federal no-fly or watch list:
Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images
- Democrats: 85.8% support; 7.6% oppose; 6.6% have no opinion
- Republicans: 76.8% support; 13.9% oppose; 9.3% have no opinion
- Independents: 78.3% support; 7.3% oppose; 14.4% have no opinion
- All voters: 80.7% support; 9.9% oppose; 9.5% have no opinion
7. Requiring that all gun owners store their guns in a safe storage unit:
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- Democrats: 86.8% support; 7.7% oppose; 5.4% have no opinion
- Republicans: 69.6% support; 22.8% oppose; 7.6% have no opinion
- Independents: 72.3% support; 14.1% oppose; 13.6% have no opinion
- All voters: 77.0% support; 14.8% oppose; 8.2% have no opinion
6. Requiring a mandatory waiting period of three days after a gun is purchased before it can be taken home:
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- Democrats: 85.1% support; 7.6% oppose; 7.3% have no opinion
- Republicans: 66.3% support; 24.9% oppose; 8.8% have no opinion
- Independents: 72.1% support; 14.8% oppose; 13.1% have no opinion
- All voters: 75.0% support; 15.7% oppose; 9.2% have no opinion
5. Creating a national database with information about each gun sale:
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- Democrats: 84.6% support; 9.0% oppose; 6.4% have no opinion
- Republicans: 62.3% support; 29.3% oppose; 8.4% have no opinion
- Independents: 70.7% support; 14.5% oppose; 14.8% have no opinion
- All voters: 73.0% support; 17.8% oppose; 9.2% have no opinion
4. Banning high-capacity ammunition magazines:
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- Democrats: 84.8% support; 8.2% oppose; 7.0% have no opinion
- Republicans: 48.2% support; 40.3% oppose; 11.5% have no opinion
- Independents: 61.7% support; 21.2% oppose; 17.0% have no opinion
- All voters: 65.7% support; 23.2% oppose; 11.1% have no opinion
3. Banning assault-style weapons:
- Democrats: 85.8% support; 8.4% oppose; 5.8% have no opinion
- Republicans: 46.0% support; 44.0% oppose; 10.0% have no opinion
- Independents: 61.4% support; 25.3% oppose; 13.2% have no opinion
- All voters: 65.2% support; 25.6% oppose; 9.1% have no opinion
2. Banning the sale of protective tactical gear such as bulletproof body armor and helmets:
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- Democrats: 61.7% support; 23.4% oppose; 14.9% have no opinion
- Republicans: 33.4% support; 53.1% oppose; 13.5% have no opinion
- Independents: 42.7% support; 37.0% oppose; 20.3% have no opinion
- All voters: 46.7% support; 37.7% oppose; 15.6% have no opinion
1. Repealing the 2nd Amendment:
Source: Erich Schlegel / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Democrats: 44.3% support; 34.5% oppose; 21.2% have no opinion
- Republicans: 15.5% support; 68.8% oppose; 15.7% have no opinion
- Independents: 20.5% support; 51.9% oppose; 27.6% have no opinion
- All voters: 27.9% support; 51.4% oppose; 20.7% have no opinion
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