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.
Introduction
1. Policy Definition and Gun Control
2. The Second Amendment: Meaning, Intent, Interpretation, and Consequences
3. The Criminological Consequences of Guns
4. Political Fury: Gun Politics
5. Institutions, Policymaking, and Guns
6. Gun Policy: A New Framework
Biography
Robert J. Spitzer is Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the State University of New York at Cortland. He is the author of 16 books and over 700 articles, essays, papers, and op-eds.
"Robert Spitzer deftly distills decades of firearm policy-making, court decisions, and interest-group mobilization into one readable volume. As a veteran observer of the great gun debate, Spitzer brings an expert knowledge and historical view that few other scholars can rival."
Jacob D. Charles, Duke University School of Law
"The Politics of Gun Control continues to provide an authoritative assessment of the many issues surrounding guns in America, and offers new commentary on the growing empirical literature as well as on some of the latest wrenching spasms of gun violence that continue to plague this country."
John Donahue, Stanford Law School
"First published in 1995 and frequently updated, Robert Spitzer’s excellent work is my go-to book for gun control. It is the single best primer available on gun control, and this new edition should be first on any list of readings on the topic. Anyone with an interest in firearms—for whatever reason—must read this book."
Charles W. Smith, The Ohio State University
"Robert Spitzer has written the classic work on the gun control problem: His analysis is comprehensive, penetrating, and dispassionate."
Raymond Tatalovich, Loyola University Chicago
