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Gun Policy

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Project
Informing the Gun Policy Debate
RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative provides information on what scientific research can tell us about the effects of gun laws. Our goal is to establish a shared set of facts that will improve public discussions and support the development of fair and effective gun policies.
Mar 2, 2018
Report
Ambiguities of Bruen Decision Will Affect State Gun Regulation
The Supreme Court's decision in Bruen extended beyond New York's carry laws, raising broader questions about the constitutionality of other federal and state firearm laws. Courts deciding these cases will likely have to construct some new model of analyzing the surge of Second Amendment cases.
Nov 4, 2022

Explore Gun Policy

Blog
Microchips, Ukraine, Outer Space: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how safeguarding Taiwan is the answer to America's microchip problem, a moment of clarity in Ukraine, new rules in space, and more.
Oct 7, 2022
Commentary
Better Data, Less Gun Violence
If the United States is serious about fixing the escalating problem of gun violence, the government needs to measure it. Research that is supported by new funding is overdue but will be hampered until federal and state firearm violence data systems improve.
Oct 5, 2022
Commentary
A New Era for Firearm Violence Prevention Research
Despite many remaining obstacles, the United States may soon have research that clarifies many of the unanswered questions about firearm violence and its prevention. Many critical research questions, neglected for decades, may now benefit from recent federal and private research funding that has supported a surge in research.
Oct 4, 2022
Commentary
Facts Still Matter, Even If the Court Signals Otherwise
The Supreme Court's recent decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen threatens to render decades of scientific studies legally irrelevant. But there is still room for research to inform court decisions about firearm regulations.
Oct 4, 2022
Tool
Using National Instant Criminal Background Check Data for Gun Policy Analysis: A Discussion of Available Data and Their Limitations
In this tool, researchers provide detailed information about data associated with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and discuss the data's strengths and weaknesses for various gun policy evaluation objectives.
Sep 8, 2022
Commentary
State Gun Regulations Are a Messy Patchwork. The Supreme Court's Bruen Decision Won't Help
The Supreme Court's decision may not actually narrow the policy gap between states sharply divided over their approach to regulating guns. Rather, its result may not look very different than what we have today—a patchwork of laws that often reflect political and policy demands of individual states.
Aug 22, 2022
Testimony
The Role of Assault Weapons in Mass Shooting Incidents: State of the Science: Addendum
Document submitted August 10, 2022, as an addendum to testimony before the U.S Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 20, 2022.
Aug 18, 2022
Testimony
The Role of Assault Weapons in Mass Shooting Incidents: State of the Science
Testimony presented before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on July 20, 2022.
Jul 20, 2022
Blog
Gun Storage, the Dangers of Replacement Theory, War in Ukraine: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how Americans store their guns, why
Jul 15, 2022
Commentary
A Toolkit for Avoiding Mass Shootings
RAND has developed an online educational toolkit to provide practical strategies and guidance on deterring, mitigating, and responding to mass attacks. Research highlights three top ways to mitigate and/or respond to mass attacks right now: through proactive prevention, relentless follow-up, and diligent preparation and training.
Jul 14, 2022
Report
Personal Firearm Storage in the United States: Recent Estimates, Patterns, and Effectiveness of Interventions
This report describes what is meant by safe firearm storage, provides estimates of U.S. gun owners' storage practices from representative surveys, and presents research on the effectiveness of interventions to change such practices.
Jul 11, 2022
Essay
Personal Firearm Storage in the United States
Public health and gun rights advocates agree that gun owners should store their firearms in a manner that prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing them. This essay discusses what is meant by safe firearm storage and provides estimates of U.S. gun owners' storage practices from nationally and state-representative surveys.
Jul 11, 2022
Tool
The RAND State Firearm Law Database
As part of the Gun Policy in America initiative, RAND developed a longitudinal data set of state and District of Columbia firearm laws from 1979 to January 2021 to support improved analysis and understanding of the effects of gun laws.
Jun 28, 2022
Blog
Gun Policy, Ukraine's Best Chance for Peace, Equity and Public Policy: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses what the scientific evidence says about gun laws, a potential pathway toward peace in Ukraine, helping incarcerated parents, and more.
Jun 3, 2022
Commentary
The Gun Laws That Work, and the Gun Laws That Don't
Are certain gun laws and regulations likely to improve or worsen public safety? At a time when many Americans are searching for solutions to the country's intolerably high rates of gun violence, social scientists can help provide answers.
May 27, 2022
Blog
Gun Policy, China and Taiwan, Russian Propaganda: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on reducing America's unacceptably high rates of gun violence, what would happen if China “quarantines” Taiwan, and Russia's “firehose of falsehood.”
May 27, 2022
Blog
Putin's State of Mind, the Digital Skills Gap, International Women's Day: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on deterring Russian President Vladimir Putin, understanding America’s gun policy debate, improving teacher diversity, and more.
Mar 11, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: March-April 2022
The cover story describes a yearlong study of a group of military veterans experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Other features examine the global digital skills gap and the magnitude and sources of disagreement among gun policy experts.
Mar 10, 2022
Essay
Exploring the Disagreement Among Gun Policy Experts
A survey asked gun policy researchers, advocates, and congressional staffers who work on gun issues for their views on policies ranging from weapon bans to stand-your-ground laws. Regardless of where they stood, they were not so dissimilar in what they thought gun policies should be trying to accomplish.
Mar 7, 2022

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