Since its initial publication, this book has become the classic work on every important element of the tumultuous national gun debate in America. This new edition brings together the latest developments and research in gun politics, policy, law, history, and criminology to provide a comprehensive and accessible source widely used by scholars, journalists, and in classrooms. In this era of polarized politics, this book provides a unique window into how and why that polarization drives our politics. Among the new topics covered in this edition are the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, new Supreme Court protections for concealed carry permits, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on gun violence and policy.
New to the Ninth Edition
• Examines current gun control legislation at both state and federal levels, particularly the circumstances that lead to the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022.
• Introduces the new constitutional standards for gun control legislation set by the controversial, pro-Second Amendment Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022).
• Provides expanded and updated consideration on related issues including: the rise of "gun carry" movements on college campuses, attempts to regulate "ghost guns," bump stocks and guns with high capacity magazines, .50 caliber sniper rifles, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 6 Capitol Attack, and the Black Lives Matter movement on contemporary gun control debates.
• Tracks the financial, political, and legal crises that threaten the dominance of the National Rifle Association and examines the rise of new gun rights groups, such as the National Association for Gun Rights.
• Presents new and updated statistical research on gun ownership in America, gun-related fatalities, public opinion support of "red-flag" laws and other gun control measures.
• Incorporates new pedagogical features of chapter summaries and discussion questions into each chapter.
Author(s): Robert J. Spitzer
Edition: 9
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 315
City: New York
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Preface
New to this Edition
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
Discussion Questions
Notes
1. Policy Definition and Gun Control
Regulation, Public Order, and Public Policy
Guns and Regulation
The Gun Controversy
The Gun Culture
Policy Gridlock
Social Regulatory Policy Analysis
Discussion Questions
Notes
2. The Second Amendment: Meaning, Intent, Interpretation, and Consequences
Historic Roots
The Constitution
The Bill of Rights
The Militia Transformed
Supreme Court Rulings
Other Court Rulings
Bad History Makes Bad Law
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes
3. The Criminological Consequences of Guns
America and Violence
Choice of Weapons
Homicide and Malicious Injury
Self-Defense
Guns and School Violence
Gun Carrying on College Campuses?
Stand Your Ground” Laws: Extending the “Castle Doctrine” to America’s Streets
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes
4. Political Fury: Gun Politics
Single-Issue Gun Groups: The NRA
Explaining the NRA’s Effectiveness
The National Association for Gun Rights
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
The Million Mom March
New Gun Control Groups Enter the Fray
The Gun Control Movement’s Strategic Blunders and Newfound Strength
Political Balance and the Invincibility Myth
Public Opinion
Political Parties and Guns
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes
5. Institutions, Policymaking, and Guns
Early Legislative Efforts
The Gun Control Act of 1968
The Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986
The Tide Turns: The Assault Weapons Ban
The Brady Bill
The Post-Columbine Reaction
Lawsuit Protection for Gun Manufacturers
Sandy Hook
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Conclusion: Furious Politics, Marginal Policy
Discussion Questions
Notes
6. Gun Policy: A New Framework
Federalism: The Great Regulation Dilemma
Gun Policy Alternatives
The Barriers to Gun Control
The Security Dilemma
The Security Dilemma and the Gun Debate
Nonproliferation and Arms Control
Discussion Questions
Notes
Index
