“I know it when I see it”: Public opinion on removing guns from compromised owners

Abstract

“Red flag” laws allow the government to remove firearms from someone if a judge is persuaded that the owner is a danger to self or others. We present the evolution of these laws and then develop and test a series of hypotheses using data from the Guns in American Life Survey (GALS), a nationwide online survey conducted in late 2018 to investigate public opinion. Findings show that adults who believe they know a “compromised” gun owner (e.g. dangerous, seriously mentally ill or suffering dementia) tend to be much more supportive of red flag laws, moderating the effects of immersion in gun culture. GALS reveals that political underpinnings are not determinative of the views of respondents. However, two sets of gun-related attitudes are strongly predictive of attitudes towards red flag laws–acceptance of scientific evidence that guns are “risky” and dangerous for civilians and principled rejection of gun control as a violation of the Second Amendment. Our results suggest that local circumstances (knowing someone who is a danger) can overwhelm macro-social attitude formation forces. We conclude by reviewing how firearm policy responses evolve, and how previously unpalatable options can become accepted by different groups such as legislators, law enforcement, registered voters and the general public.