Strict Gun Law Support Falls

The debate surrounding gun laws in the U.S. took a backseat to other more pertinent issues during the latest election cycle, with the COVID-19 pandemic, economic fallout and health care crisis dominating the headlines. A new poll shows a majority of Americans would still prefer stricter gun laws in the country, although less than in previous years.

A new update to a yearly gun law poll from Gallup shows 57 percent of U.S. adults say gun laws should be made more strict in the country. That’s a noticeable decline than in previous years, where 67 percent and 64 percent of respondents in 2018 and 2019, respectively, said the same. Coinciding with this dip is a rise in people who want gun laws kept the same, with 34 percent agreeing with this sentiment in 2020 compared to 28 percent in 2019.

The support for stricter gun laws in 2018 was the highest it had been in two decades, with the previous record of 78 percent in favor of stricter laws occurring in 1992. Since 1992, the trend has favored those who prefer keeping gun laws the same, while those looking for stricter laws has steadily declined.

Gun sales have reached record highs in the U.S. for 2020, with the pandemic, economic hardships and political pressures combining to further solidify the country's spot as the highest gun-owning nation in the world.