One of the most discussed topics leading up to a presidential election, no matter the candidate’s position, is gun control. According to PRRI’s 2022 Social Networks Survey, one-third of Americans (34%) keep a gun in their homes, including one in four (25%) who say these guns belong to them personally.
The Biden administration, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, has advocated for increased gun control measures, such as background checks and bans on assault weapons, and even opened an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Former President Donald Trump, however, has claimed himself to be the “most pro-gun” president, and will likely not enact gun control measures if elected this year.[1]
Americans’ Views on Guns
As of 2023, almost two-thirds (64%) of Americans favor stricter gun laws — including 80% of Democrats and 42% of Republicans — while 36% oppose. Additionally, no matter their view on these policies, about four in ten Republicans (41%) and Democrats (40%) alike will only vote for a candidate who already shares their views on gun laws, according to PRRI’s recent Gen Z survey. Further, the same survey reveals that one-third of all Americans (33%) say their freedom to buy or own guns has become more restricted over the past few years, while about one in four say their freedom is less restricted (23%), and over four in ten say there is no change (42%).
Of those who feel that their freedom to buy or own guns has become more restricted, 39% of Americans will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on gun laws. Of those who feel this freedom has become less restricted, 43% will only vote for a candidate who shares their views; and of those who feel that this freedom has not changed, 31% will only vote for a candidate who shares their views. Among Americans, there are differences in voting patterns and opinions based on freedoms to buy or own guns when results are broken down further by party and area of residency.
Partisanship, Restriction of Gun Laws, and Voting Patterns
The Gen Z survey also reveals that overall, over half of Republicans (51%) feel that their freedom to buy or own guns has become more restricted, 18 percentage points over the national average (33%), and more than twice the percentage of Democrats (20%) who feel the same way. On the other hand, one-third of Democrats (32%) feel their freedom has become less restricted, nine percentage points over the national average (23%), and more than twice the percentage of Republicans (14%). A plurality of Democrats (47%), independents (43%), and roughly one-third of Republicans (35%) feel no change in their freedom to own guns.[2]
Among those who feel that their freedom to buy or own guns has become more restricted, Republicans are significantly more likely to only vote for a candidate who shares their views on gun laws (48%), compared with 29% of Democrats and 33% of independents. Additionally, among those who feel that this freedom has become less restricted, Democrats are more likely to only vote for a candidate who shares their views on this topic (50%) than Republicans (41%) and significantly more likely to do so than independents (35%).
Area of Residency, Restriction of Gun Laws, and Voting Patterns
Rural America is widely known as a landscape where gun culture thrives. PRRI’s Gen Z Survey indicates that people who live in rural areas are significantly more likely to feel that their freedom to buy or own guns has become more restricted (41%), compared with 33% of people who live in suburban areas, and 29% of people who live in urban areas.[3]
Of those who feel their freedom to buy or own guns has become more restricted, those who live in rural areas are more likely to only vote for a candidate who shares their views on gun laws (46%) than those who live in urban areas (36%), but do not differ as much in their numbers from those who live in suburban areas (39%). Additionally, among those who feel like this freedom has become less restricted, those who live in urban and suburban areas are more likely to only vote for a candidate who shares their views (44% each), compared with about one-third of those who live in rural areas (36%).
[1] This Spotlight applies “weight” variable to the analyses from PRRI’s Gen Z Survey to account for all Americans 18+.
[2] Forty-one percent of Republicans, 40% of Democrats, and 30% of independents say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on access to guns.
[3] Thirty-seven percent of individuals who live in urban or rural areas, and 36% of those who live in suburban areas will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on access to guns.