NCJ Number
179181
Editor(s)
John M. Bruce,
Clyde Wilcox
Date Published
1998
Length
281 pages
Annotation
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 various reasons for the debate.
Abstract
Gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association are more organized and aggressive, and their issue agendas have evolved as new and more powerful weapons and militias 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. Gun control and the right to bear arms have become hotly disputed issues in which political alignments are constantly shifting. Contributors to the volume chart these changes and explore how Congress, courts, the President, and individual States are addressing the gun control issue. The volume includes profiles and examinations of relevant interest groups, the gun control coalition, recent Supreme Court decisions, and public opinion surveys. References, notes, tables, figures, and maps