Would the U.S. be safer or less safe with more guns (February 2024)

Would the U.S. be safer or less safe with more guns (February 2024)

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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?"
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categoryTotal
More safe31%
Less safe45%
No impact on safety15%
Don't know/No opinion8%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Measurement of Party ID for this figure is based on two questions. First, respondents were asked whether they consider themselves to be a Democrats, Republicans, independents, other, or not sure. Those who responded that they are independents or "other" were then asked if they lean toward either the Democrats or Republicans. If they indicated that they lean toward one party or the other, they are considered Democrats or Republicans for the purposes of this figure. Only "pure" independents or members of a third party who indicate that they have no preference for Democrats vis-a-vis Republicans are considered independents. Respondents who answered that they are "not sure" for either of the two aforementioned questions are not incorporated into this figure.
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CategoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
More safe12%24%51%
Less safe74%40%20%
No impact on safety11%19%18%
Don't know/No opinion3%17%10%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
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CategoryLean DemocratNot very strong DemocratStrong Democrat
More safe11%10%14%
Less safe69%78%73%
No impact on safety15%7%11%
Don't know/No opinion4%5%2%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
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CategoryLean RepublicanNot very strong RepublicanStrong Republican
More safe58%45%52%
Less safe10%24%23%
No impact on safety21%21%16%
Don't know/No opinion11%9%10%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
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CategoryLiberalsModeratesConservatives
More safe11%17%54%
Less safe73%55%20%
No impact on safety12%14%18%
Don't know/No opinion4%14%9%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
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CategoryLean liberalSomewhat liberalExtremely liberal
More safe16%8%9%
Less safe70%79%70%
No impact on safety11%8%17%
Don't know/No opinion3%4%4%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
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CategoryLean conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
More safe38%54%63%
Less safe33%15%18%
No impact on safety19%21%13%
Don't know/No opinion11%10%6%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Race is calculated according to the race variable.
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CategoryWhiteBlackHispanic
More safe41%15%21%
Less safe38%63%50%
No impact on safety15%12%17%
Don't know/No opinion7%9%12%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Gender is calculated according to the GENDER variable.
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CategoryMaleFemale
More safe36%27%
Less safe44%46%
No impact on safety14%16%
Don't know/No opinion6%11%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Community type is based on the following question, " Would you say that you live in an urban, suburban, or rural community?"
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CategoryUrbanSuburbanRural
More safe23%32%47%
Less safe54%46%26%
No impact on safety15%14%17%
Don't know/No opinion8%8%9%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Age is calculated according to the AGEG variable.
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Category18-2930-4445-6465+
More safe18%28%34%40%
Less safe61%46%40%42%
No impact on safety15%17%16%11%
Don't know/No opinion6%9%10%7%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Education is calculated according to the EDUC variable.
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CategoryNo HSHigh school graduateSome college2-year4-yearPost-grad
More safe30%34%37%29%25%32%
Less safe41%40%39%42%55%52%
No impact on safety7%15%18%19%13%11%
Don't know/No opinion22%10%7%10%7%4%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Religiosity is calculated according to the IMPORT variable.
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CategoryExtremely importantSomewhat importantNot very importantNot at all important
More safe38%29%27%19%
Less safe38%45%54%64%
No impact on safety15%16%13%13%
Don't know/No opinion9%10%6%4%
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    Respondents were asked, "If more people carried guns, do you think the United States would be safer, less safe, or would it have no impact on safety?" Fundamentalism is calculated according to the LITERAL variable.
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CategoryThe Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word.The Bible is the word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word.The Bible is a book written by men and is not the word of God.Don't know.
More safe41%30%14%35%
Less safe35%44%70%35%
No impact on safety15%17%13%10%
Don't know/No opinion9%9%2%20%

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