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Reducing Disagreements on Gun Policy Through Scientific Research and an Improved Data Infrastructure

An overview of testimony by Andrew R. Morral presented before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on March 7, 2019.

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Scientific Research Could Reduce Disagreements on Gun Policy
More high-quality research is needed to craft policies that could contribute to reducing gun injuries, deaths, and violence. There are many ways Congress could help build a robust and transformative gun policy research enterprise. One is to appropriate funds to support a diverse portfolio of studies.
Mar 7, 2019
Informing the Gun Policy Debate
Updated findings from RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative include supportive evidence that minimum age requirements for purchasing a firearm reduce firearm suicides among young people. And there's supportive evidence for stand-your-ground and concealed-carry laws on a broader set of outcomes.
Jul 16, 2024
More Research Could Help Prevent Gun Violence in America
Both sides of the gun policy debate agree on what the objectives of any policy should be. But they disagree over which policies would best achieve those goals. Current evidence for or against most gun proposals is weak, contradictory, or nonexistent. Only research can show what does—and doesn't—work.
Jul 10, 2018
The Science of Gun Policy: First Edition
What does the scientific evidence tell us about the effects of gun policies? Part of the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative, this report assesses the available evidence for the effects of commonly proposed gun laws on firearm deaths, violent crime, suicide, the gun industry, hunting and sport shooting, and other outcomes.
Mar 2, 2018