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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.
Jan 10, 2023
Report
What Do Teachers Think About Carrying Guns to School?
U.S. teachers are divided on whether arming themselves would make schools safer. One in five feels that carrying a gun would make schools safer and would do so if allowed. More than half believe teacher-carry policies would make schools less safe. And teachers' top safety concern is bullying, not guns.
May 30, 2023

Explore Gun Policy

Blog
Disinformation Amid the Israel-Hamas War, U.S. Gun Policy, Cannabis: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the information war may play out between Israel and Hamas, what the evidence says (and doesn't say) about U.S. gun policy, supply models for recreational cannabis, and more.
Nov 3, 2023
Commentary
When Mass Shooters Are Seeking Fame
What motivates mass shooters? And what might break the cycle of violence? Developing an effective policy response first requires better understanding of the factors that drive would-be attackers to kill.
Jul 13, 2023
News Release
1 in 5 Teachers Feel Carrying Gun to Class Would Make Schools Safer; More Than Half Think Armed Teachers Would Make ...
U.S. teachers are divided on whether arming themselves would make schools safer, with one in five saying they would be interested in carrying a gun to school.
May 31, 2023
Blog
RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research
From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.
May 8, 2023
Blog
Truth Decay and National Security, Gun Violence, Blockading Crimea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Truth Decay and national security, America's gun violence problem, how Ukraine could blockade Crimea, and more.
Apr 14, 2023
Blog
A Look Back at the War in Afghanistan, National Secuirty Risks, Hospice Care: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why the United States “stayed the unfavorable course” in Afghanistan, the Ohio train derailment, state data on gun deaths, and more.
Mar 3, 2023
News Release
Online Tool Allows State-by-State Analysis of Firearm Policies and Death Rates
States in the northeast and the coastal west region of the United States have among the lowest firearm death rates in the nation, while states in the south and mountain west have firearm death rates that are especially high.
Feb 23, 2023
Tool
Visualizing Firearm Mortality and Law Effects: An Interactive Web-Based Tool
This tool provides users with information about the distribution of firearm deaths across states and demographic subgroups. Users can explore how those deaths might be affected by the implementation of a set of commonly enacted state firearm laws.
Feb 23, 2023
Tool
New Tool Shows State-by-State Firearm Policies and Death Rates
An online tool allows users to see how firearm death rates vary across the United States and explore how changes in gun policy might affect those rates for each state. It shows that states in the northeast and the coastal west have the lowest firearm death rates, while states in the south and mountain west have rates that are especially high.
Feb 22, 2023
Blog
Earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Facial Recognition, Gun Violence: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, regulating the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement, improving data collection on gun violence, and more.
Feb 17, 2023
Testimony
State Firearm Laws and Suicide Prevention
More than 700 Vermont residents died of gunshot wounds from 2011 to 2020. Eighty-eight percent of these deaths were suicides. Although the full costs and benefits of gun laws are not known, how might firearm legislation affect Vermont’s suicide rate?
Feb 14, 2023
Commentary
Addressing Gun Violence Requires Better Means of Measuring It
Proposals to reduce firearm violence in the United States are often controversial, sometimes because there are no data demonstrating their effectiveness. The federal government has many of the requisite tools in place to collect the data, and it does it well on a wide range of other problems. Shying away from measuring this problem may also make it more difficult to fix it.
Feb 13, 2023
Blog
State of the Union 2023: Insights from RAND
In his second State of the Union address, President Joe Biden covered a wide range of issues facing the United States at home and abroad, including police violence, gun policy, Russia's war in Ukraine, and U.S. competition with China.
Feb 8, 2023
Blog
Avoiding a Long War in Ukraine, Gun Violence, Migrant Surges: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the United States can help avoid a long war in Ukraine, responding to the gun violence crisis, limits on teachers’ instruction, and more.
Jan 27, 2023
Commentary
Responding to the Firearm Violence Crisis: Are Some Newly Enacted Laws Making Things Worse?
Persuasive scientific evidence is accumulating for several commonly implemented laws. Where the science is strong, lawmakers would be wise to consider it when making decisions about how to protect public safety while preserving civil liberties, including the right to bear arms.
Jan 25, 2023
Brochure
RAND: 75 Years of Making a Difference
To commemorate its 75th anniversary, RAND took a closer look at some of its most influential research. The selections in this volume demonstrate RAND's positive—and enduring—contributions in addressing some of the world's most challenging problems.
Jan 19, 2023
Blog
U.S. Gun Laws, China's COVID Outbreak, Space in 2050: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on gun policy in America, the myth of America's “Ukraine fatigue,” the COVID outbreak in China, and more.
Jan 13, 2023
News Release
Evidence About Effects of Gun Policies Grows and Supports Laws Intended to Restrict Child Access to Guns
There is now supportive evidence that child-access-prevention laws reduce firearm homicides and self-injuries among youth, and that shall-issue concealed-carry laws and stand-your-ground laws increase levels of firearm violence.
Jan 10, 2023

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Research conducted by

RAND Social and Economic Well-Being

Researcher Spotlight

Danielle Sobol

Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, and Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Danielle Sobol (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. Her research interests include criminal justice and policing reform, social protection, and behavioral health care.
Amanda Charbonneau

Associate Policy Researcher

Amanda Charbonneau is an associate policy researcher at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She studies decisionmaking and policies related to public safety and health. This work includes linking a randomized controlled trial with administrative data to…

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