RELEASE: New Quinnipiac Survey Shows Only 35% Of Voters Believe The U.S. Would Be Safer If More People Carried Guns
June 28, 2017 — A new survey released today by Quinnipiac University finds further evidence that very few Americans believe the long perpetuated gun-lobby talking point that arming more people will make the U.S. safer. According to the Quinnipiac survey, just 35 percent of Americans believe the U.S. would be safer if more people carried guns.
“The fact that just 35 percent of voters believe our communities would be safer if more people were armed is yet another clear sign that the American public stands in opposition to the gun lobby’s extreme agenda.” said Peter Ambler, Executive Director, Americans for Responsible Solutions. “Instead of working to pass dangerous policies that threaten public safety, like federally mandated concealed carry, our nation’s elected leaders should instead listen to the overwhelming majority of Americans who want to close the loopholes in our background check system that give convicted felons and domestic abusers easier access to guns. It’s time for Congress to listen to the American people and take action to make our communities safer.”
Key findings from the Quinnipiac survey include:
- Few Americans believe the U.S. would be more safe if more people carried guns. Just 35 percent of voters believe the U.S. would be a safer place to live if more people carried guns.
- Americans overwhelmingly support background checks. 94 percent of voters support background checks for all gun buyers, including 93 percent of Republicans.
- Americans believe it’s too easy to buy a gun today. 57 percent of voters believe it’s too easy to buy a gun in the U.S. today.
The survey was conducted by Quinnipiac University. The survey was comprised of 1,212 gun owners between June 22-27, with a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percent. Full survey results are available here.
To speak with a gun violence prevention expert, contact Katie Peters at KatieP@