The Effectiveness of Legislation Controlling Gun Usage: A Holistic Measure of Gun Control Legislation

Author: Kwon, Ik-Whan G. / Baack, Daniel W.
Publication: American Journal of Economics and Sociology
Topics: Law Enforcement Legislation and Policy State Supply Surveillance/Data Collection
Keywords: Illegal Behavior Law Enforcement Political Processes UNITED States
Bibliographic information +

The authors examined the relationship between state gun control legislation, and other variables, and firearm deaths per 100,000 inhabitants of each state. A sample of 24 states was used, the 12 states with the most gun-related legislation and the 12 states with the least gun-related legislation. Comprehensive gun control legislation lowers the number of gun-related deaths anywhere between 1 to almost 6 per 100,000 people in the states with the most gun-related legislation. Socioeconomic and law enforcement variables play equally important roles in containing gun-related fatalities.