NEW POLL: 70% Back Stricter Gun Control Laws

February 25, 2018 Guns, Terrorism

Support for stricter gun laws has spiked to the highest level since 1993, and almost two-thirds say government and society can take action to prevent future mass shootings, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. The findings suggest the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, has shifted public opinion on gun laws in a way other recent mass shootings have not.

Overall, 70% now say they back stricter gun laws, up from 52% who said so in an October poll not long after a mass shooting in Las Vegas killed 58 people. Just 27% oppose stricter laws. Support for stronger gun laws has not been that high in CNN polling since a December 1993 survey conducted just after the Brady Bill was signed into law.

The new poll also finds a deepening intensity of support for stronger gun laws. A majority, or 52%, say they “strongly” favor stricter gun laws, well above the previous high mark of 37% in polling back to 2013. Strong support outpaces strong opposition by a nearly four-to-one margin, a massive increase compared with the 36% who were strongly in favor of such a move and 27% who strongly opposed the idea in the October survey.

Do you favor stricter gun control laws? (via new @CNN poll)

Sep 2014: 44%
Oct 2015: 46%
Jun 2016: 55%
Oct 2017: 52%
Now, 2018: 70% (!!)

— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) February 25, 2018

CNN poll

• 56-42% say stricter gun control laws reduce gun deaths

• 57-39% favor banning semi-automatic rifles like AR-15

• 63-34% favor banning high-capacity ammunition clips

• 87-11% favor banning guns for felons/mentally ill

• 87-11% oppose banning all gun ownership

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) February 25, 2018