Support among Americans for tougher gun controls has increased in recent months, an Associated Press-GfK poll released Saturday found. But despite growing favor for enhanced background checks and other protocols, most adults have low expectations that calls for reform will transfer into legislation.
Nearly two-thirds of national adults — 64 percent — who were polled July 7-11 want stricter laws for purchasing firearms, up 6 points since the last AP poll in December. National support has remained in the 50s since the first poll was taken in October 2013, 10 months after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut.
The record-high number of those in favor of gun reforms is likely the result of regularly occurring mass shootings in the U.S. During the five-day survey, two African-American men were killed while in police custody and an enraged man opened fire on Dallas law enforcement, killing five and injuring others. The following week, a man in Baton Rouge, La., fatally shot three local police officers.
Respondents have an idea of the specific kind of reforms they want to see in state houses and Congress.
Some 57 percent of respondents want a nationwide ban on the sale of AR-15 rifles and similar semiautomatic weapons. The area of greatest unity was establishing a federal standard requiring background checks for those trying to buy guns at a gun show and other private sales, which 73 percent backed.
A surprising 41 percent of Republicans support tighter gun controls while 87 percent of Democrats do. A net 70 percent of people in gun-owning households voiced support for universal background checks.
The poll was conducted online and had a 3.3 percent margin of error.
