The Changing Politics of Gun Control

by Bruce, John M.; Wilcox, Clyde; Barron, Graham; Bruce, John M.; Cook, Elizabeth Adell; Eakins, Keith R.; Jelen, Ted G.; Gimpel, James G.; Godwin, Marcia L.; Harding, David R., Jr.; Keiser, Lael R.; Lambert, Diana; Martinek, Wendy L.; Patterson, Samuel C.;

• ISBN13: 9780847686155
• ISBN10: 0847686159
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-05-07
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

In recent years, political discourse about gun control and the Second Amendment has become increasingly volatile and this collection of original essays by top scholars illuminates the various reasons why. Gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association are more organized and aggressive and their issue agenda has evolved as new and more powerful weapons and militia appear. On the other side of the debate, the critical wounding of James Brady gave gun control advocates a visible martyr with strong ties to Republican conservatives. In sum, gun control and the right to bear arms have become hotly disputed issues where political alignments are constantly shifting. The contributors chart these changes and explore how Congress, the courts, the President, and individual states are currently addressing the issue of gun control. This book, which includes profiles and examinations of relevant interest groups, the gun control coalition, recent Supreme Court decisions, and public opinion surveys, will be of great interest to classes in political science, American government, law, and sociology.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	ix
Preface	xi
John M. Bruce
Clyde Wilcox
Introduction	1	(16)
John M. Bruce
Clyde Wilcox
Jackboots or Lace Panties? The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	17	(28)
Wendy L. Martinek
Kenneth J. Meier
Lael R. Keiser
Congress and Gun Control	45	(29)
Samuel C. Patterson
Keith R. Eakins
Madison's Mistake? Judicial Construction of the Second Amendment	74	(14)
Karen O'Connor
Graham Barron
Gun Control Politics in California	88	(23)
Marcia L. Godwin
Jean Reith Schroedel
The Structure of Public Support for Gun Control: The 1988 Battle over Question 3 in Maryland	111	(14)
James G. Gimpel
Robin M. Wolpert
Virginia: The Politics of Concealed Weapons	125	(14)
Harry L. Wilson
Mark J. Rozell
Gun Control Laws in the States: Political and Apolitical Influences	139	(16)
John M. Bruce
Clyde Wilcox
Going Hunting Where the Ducks Are: The National Rifle Association and the Grass Roots	155	(17)
Ronald G. Shaiko
Marc A. Wallace
Trying to Stop the Craziness of This Business: Gun Control Groups	172	(24)
Diana Lambert
Public Opinion and Gun Control: Appearance and Transparence in Support and Opposition	196	(28)
David R. Harding Jr.
The Electoral Politics of Gun Ownership	224	(23)
Ted G. Jelen
References	247	(14)
Index	261	(8)
About the Editors and Contributors	269