NCJ Number
79096
Journal
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Volume: 455 Dated: (May 1981) Pages: 1-10
Date Published
1981
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article speculates about public policy toward handguns in the United States a generation in the future and describes two mutually exclusive national policies.
Abstract
The first policy, Federal support for State and local variation in handgun control, represents a logical extension of historical trends in Federal firearms control since the 1930's. The second policy, Federal commitment to reduce substantially the availability of handguns nationwide, would represent a significant departure from previous Federal regulatory approaches. This more stringent regulatory approach might evolve from increasing interdependence, continuing high rates of handgun violence, and a public perception that handgun control based on State and local variation is fundamentally unworkable. Public attitudes toward handguns as instruments of household self-defense are one key leading indicator of future Federal policy directions. If the handgun in the house remains a respectable means of self-defense, restrictive proposals at the national level are probably doomed. A future decline in the social status of the loaded handgun in the home would create a policy climate more favorable to sharp reduction of the civilian handgun inventory. Fifteen footnotes are provided. (Author abstract modified)