Gun Policy

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  • Screen capture of a chart depicting the potential decrease in firearm death rates by state.

    Visualization

    These Three Firearm Restrictions Could Help Reduce Gun Deaths in Your State

    Sep 17, 2020

    States that put into effect the most restrictive combination of three common gun policies—regulating the way people use, carry and store their firearms—could see a small but meaningful reduction of firearm deaths.

  • Visualization

    Firearm Injury Hospitalizations in America

    Apr 27, 2021

    To address a gap in the available data on firearm injuries, RAND researchers have developed a longitudinal database of state-level estimates of hospitalizations due to firearm injury. Use this visualization to see rates of firearm injuries in your state from 2000 to 2016, and how trends in firearm injuries differ between states.

Explore Gun Policy

  • A person lying in a hospital bed covered by a sheet. Photo by kieferpix / Getty Images

    Tool

    Inpatient Hospitalizations for Firearm Injury: Estimating State-Level Rates from 2000 to 2016

    The lack of reliable, state-level data on firearm injuries is a challenge for gun policy researchers. As part of the Gun Policy in America initiative, RAND researchers developed a publicly available longitudinal database of state-level estimates of inpatient hospitalizations that occur as a result of firearm injury.

    Apr 27, 2021

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Impact on Nonfirearm Deaths of Firearm Laws Affecting Firearm Deaths: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    State gun policies that reduce firearm homicides are likely to reduce overall homicides in the state by approximately the same number. It is currently unknown whether the same holds for state gun policies that significantly reduce firearm suicides.

    Apr 13, 2021

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    When Is a Match Sufficient? A Score-based Balance Metric for the Synthetic Control Method

    In this study, we present metrics to help analysts determine whether they have a good enough match to conduct causal inference using synthetic control method.

    Feb 2, 2021

  • Blog

    The Most Popular RAND Research of 2020

    Here are the RAND research projects that resonated most in 2020, a year unlike any in living memory. Topics include remote learning, election disinformation, income inequality, and more.

    Dec 21, 2020

  • Blog

    RAND Commentary Highlights from 2020

    The roughly 400 op-eds and blog posts published by RAND researchers during the year reflected an enormous variety of expertise and perspectives, from remote education to election cybersecurity to the economic harms of racial disparities. Here are 10 highlights that landed in high-profile news outlets.

    Dec 18, 2020

  • Blog

    Health Care Price Transparency, COVID-19 Vaccinations, Gun Laws: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on what private health plans pay compared to what Medicare pays, when COVID-19's global spread really began, laws that could reduce firearm deaths, and more.

    Sep 25, 2020

  • Sacramento Capitol Building, California, USA

    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 2019 to support improved analysis and understanding of the effects of gun laws.

    Sep 17, 2020

  • Gun Policy in America New Insights

    Multimedia

    Gun Policy in America: New Insights

    RAND economist Rosanna Smart shares new insights from the Gun Policy in America initiative, including evidence about the effects of child access prevention laws and stand-your-ground laws.

    Jul 31, 2020

  • Periodical

    Periodical

    RAND Review: July-August 2020

    Feature stories explore what research says about learning loss after extended school breaks; how stress and trauma affect individual and community health; and how a critical care surge response tool is helping hospitals during the pandemic.

    Jul 13, 2020

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Changes in Firearm Mortality Following the Implementation of State Laws Regulating Firearm Access and Use

    Laws that regulate children's access to firearms, the carrying of a concealed firearm, and the use of a firearm in self-defense, are associated with an 11% decrease in the firearms-related death rate.

    Jun 26, 2020

  • Blog

    Protests and Police Reform, Facial Recognition, Gun Policies: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on protests and police reform after the killing of George Floyd, facial recognition bans, gun policies that likely reduce deaths, and more.

    Jun 19, 2020

  • Three guns in an open safe, photo by SERGEI PRIMAKOV/Adobe Stock

    Commentary

    COVID-19 Reveals Need for More Research About Guns

    Recent reports suggest that Americans reacted to the pandemic by purchasing guns and ammunition in massive numbers. What does this mean for public safety? And how can policymakers ensure that this doesn't result in more injuries or deaths?

    Jun 18, 2020

  • Gun in open lock box, photo by victorass88/Getty Images

    News Release

    Firearm Use and Storage Restrictions Associated with Reduction in Deaths

    Three common types of gun laws are associated with changes in the rate of firearm deaths, with the most-restrictive combination of the laws estimated to result in an 11 percent reduction in deaths.

    Jun 15, 2020

  • An American flag puzzle with a firearm overlay, design by Rick Penn-Kraus/RAND Corporation from images by dusica69 and lnm/Adobe Stock

    Tool

    Gun Policy Research for High School Students

    When RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative released its first set of research tools in 2018, high school teachers reported that their students were keenly interested. This new unit plan, recommended for grades 10 to 12, is designed to help educators and students understand gun policy research.

    Jun 11, 2020

  • Illustration by Chara Williams / Images by Adobe Stock and Getty Images

    Blog

    New Insights on Gun Policy in America

    RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative aims to establish a shared set of facts about gun policies. Recently, researchers completed an update and expansion of their synthesis of all available scientific evidence on the effects of 18 classes of gun laws.

    Apr 22, 2020

  • Tool

    State-Level Estimates of Household Firearm Ownership

    Measures of firearm ownership are critical to understanding how gun ownership may affect crime rates or other outcomes, or may be affected by gun policies. As part of the Gun Policy in America initiative, RAND researchers developed annual, state-level estimates of household firearm ownership.

    Apr 22, 2020

  • Report

    The Science of Gun Policy: Second Edition

    Unbiased evidence about the likely effects of gun laws is critical to developing fair and effective gun policies. This report, part of the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative, updates the available evidence about the potential effects of 13 laws and adds analyses of five new classes of law.

    Apr 22, 2020

  • News Release

    News Release

    Growing Evidence About the Effects of Gun Policies Provides Needed Information for Policy Decisions

    Research evaluating the effectiveness of gun policies has surged over the past two years, providing information policymakers and the public need to make sound decisions on policies designed to reduce homicides and injuries while protecting individuals' rights.

    Apr 21, 2020

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