Political Causes of the Increase In Gun Violence In the US

Gun violence, often publicized in the form of mass shootings, takes a heavy toll on the public especially with the recent increase. In total, there is an average of 30,000 gun related deaths per year in the US; however, mass shootings account for only 0.13% of gun deaths and 0.34% of gun murders (Luca et al., 2020). Politics have played a huge role in the fluctuations of gun related death rates and the efficiency of policies. Gun violence has been seen through violence in recent presidential elections, the increase in mass shootings, and an abundant rate of illegal transfers of second-hand firearms. The US government has worked tirelessly to address these issues by pushing out more than 20,000 firearm laws, all while carefully treading around the second-amendment laws that protect the rights to own a firearm (Braga, 2001). Through these reforms, the US has seen a growing political divide, which has led to a pivotal problem for politicians to choose between political success and their ethical obligation to victims. Despite the efforts of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, gun violence is increasing on a national scale, due to ineffective policies and the political tensions that arise from them.  

The gun policies currently in place are ineffective in preventing gun violence due to complicated ordinance, insufficient waiting periods, and unregulated second-hand gun markets. The NRA plays a huge role in many policies and continues to push on these laws by countering them with the Second Amendment rights. A study that argued for using factors other than the second amendment when creating gun control policies explained how the District of Columbia v. Heather Case created laws that forbade the ability to carry a firearm in high risk places such as public halls and schools (Hochman, 2024). However, many oppose this rulinglaw because they believe it threatens the second amendment rights and does not allude to the need for personal safety. Currently, policy makers are working on deciding if public transportation, such as the subway, should be considered a sensitive place (Hochman 2024). 

With the NRA resisting and mass shootings scaring the public, policy makers have found themselves in a political deadlock. A second example of failed legislatures is the Brady Act. This Act faces the same problems of inadequate enforcement due to the lack of a federal scale. A study that focused on the positive effect of waiting periods explained that the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was created to require an additional background check on firearm buyers, which allowed for an additional waiting period before the owner received their gun (Luca et al., 2017). Waiting periods act as a time for buyers to cool off, which leads to more rational decisions. It lasts 2 to 7 days and has been proven to reduce gun related deaths by 17%. With the current 22 Brady states, around 560 gun related deaths are prevented each year; however, if all states enacted this law, then up to 960 deaths could be prevented annually (Luca et al., 2017). Although the Brady Act still exists today, it has still not been adopted by all the states, which makes it ineffective since firearm markets span many states. An increase in background checks is often associated with criminals, which is perceived as unfair to the law abiding firearm owners. 

Not only is one of the main concerns with the rise of gun violence the lack of federal scale policies, but also the loopholes that the US government fails to address. Many policies that have recently been placed make it difficult for prosecutors to catch illegal trades and many old policies are unable to cover second-hand gun markets. A study done on the weakness points of the government in connection to gun legislation emphasized how the US congress has refused to close the most obvious loophole of the second-hand gun markets (Braga, 2001). These markets allow for the commerce of second-hand firearms between unlicensed individuals. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) has been working to prosecute these individuals and have found that the lack of background checks and transaction paperwork in the secondary market makes it easy for prohibited persons to get their hands on guns (Braga, 2001). And since the Brady Act does not apply to second-hand markets, excessive background checks do not have to be applied. The only federal law on second-hand markets is that the seller must not know that the buyer is a criminal, which has been proven very easy due to efforts of leaving out information from the buyer. 

The Firearms Owners Prevention Act (FOPA) has added to the availability of these markets by making it difficult for ATF agents to prosecute gun traffickers. Before FOPA, anyone who sold more than 5 guns within a year must get a license to pursue the sale of guns. However, with FOPA, people could use the reason that they sold guns out of hobby or through their private collection to get out of needing a license. This had led to ATF agents only being able to charge 38% of unlicensed dealers and only 45% of straw purchases (Braga, 2001). ATF agents have found that the best way to deal with second-hand gun traffickers is to divert charges onto crime related felonies, although there is a limit. The Bureau has introduced potential policies where serial numbers of sold guns are reported, but the NRA has only continued to challenge it and will do so for further policies.

Politics have played a pivotal role in the increase of gun violence with the rise of political tensions, the normality of political violence to justify political stances, and the heavy emphasis of gun rights. Data taken from the National Incident-Based Reporting system on four years of national scale causes of gun violence discussed Nancy Pulosi, the minority leader of the House Democratic Caucus at the time, and how she created the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force (GVPTF) (Wozniack, 2014). It was in charge of finding the best solutions to prevent gun violence, give all sides a voice in the debate, and create laws that abide by the second amendment. The Democratic focus was to reinstate a federal ban on all private possessions of personal assault weapons, strengthen background checks, and increase the punishments for straw purchases. The Democratic party focused more on gun violence and putting an end to it rather than how the second amendment plays into individuals rights (Wozniack, 2014). This has created a stark contrast with the Republican party’s, who are more likely to loosen gun rights with the idea that it is necessary for personal protection, while democrats strengthen control for preventative purposes. 

During recent elections, political violence such as the January 6th attack and the two attempted assassinations on Trump has led to unrest and a more violent influence. Research from The Guardian news on recent political violence during the 2024 elections shows that those who bought a firearm during COVID and carry it around in public are more susceptible to violence (Gambino et al., 2024). The change in viewpoint and attitude on where gun violence is commonly seen has taken an unfortunate place in the world of politics. However, this has also given politicians more power in turning these stats around. Trump’s call for the January 6th attack proved extremely effective and led to a violent raid of the Capital. After the presidential debate, Trump’s claim that the people of Ohio were eating their pets also caused unrest and many bomb threats were placed due to the anger from the allegations (Gambino et al., 2024). While politicians have not only begun to attract gun violence, they also have the power to alter it on a national scale for the better or worse.

Bibliography

Braga, A. A. (2001). More gun laws or more gun law enforcement? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 20(3), 545–549. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3326136

Gambino, L., & Greve, J. E. (2024, September 18). Access to guns worsens the US political violence crisis, experts say. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/18/trump-threats-gun-political-violence-assassination-attempt 

Hochman, J. (2024). The second amendment on board: public and private historical traditions of firearm regulation. Yale Law Journal, 133(5), 1676+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A791145439/GPS?u=light025&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=28d6e762

Luca, M., Malhotra, D., & Poliquin, C. (2017). Handgun waiting periods reduce gun deaths. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(46), 12162–12165. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1619896114 

Luca, M., Malhotra, D., & Poliquin, C. (2020). The impact of mass shootings on gun policy. Journal of Public Economics, 181(104083), 104083. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2019.104083 

Wozniak, K. H. (2014). A political science assessment of the House Democratic gun violence prevention task force. PS: Political Science and Politics, 47(2), 550–552. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43284595