Gun Control in the USA (Annotated Bibliography)

Boine, C., Siegel, M., Ross, C., Fleegler, E. W., & Alcorn, T. (2020). What is gun culture? Cultural variations and trends across the United States. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1), 1-12. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-0520-6.pdf

Using empirical data, this work examines and compares changes in gun culture throughout 1998-2016 and the differences between the U.S. Utilizing state-level data, the authors conduct a principal component analysis on 11 variables related to gun behaviors, identifying three distinct cultural components: entertainment shooting, personal protection view, and support of the Twos Amendment. They discover that even though the culture related to the recreational usage of guns has come down, the culture endorsed the usage of firearms for self-defense has gone up, and so has the support for the Second Amendment. This paper is a testament that gun culture is indeed complex, highlights the variability of state and temporal factors, and stresses the need for context-sensitive measures in policy and cultural analysis in the United States, where gun ownership is concerned. Furthermore, the conclusion derived from this study offers insight into the ever-evolving nature of society’s perceptions of the use of firearms and the consequent impact on the future shaping of the public debate and regulation of firearm possession.

Akpuokwe, C. U., Adeniyi, A. O., Eneh, N. E., & Bakare, S. S. (2024). Gun control laws in the USA: a comparative global review. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 6(3), 240-253. https://fepbl.com/index.php/ijarss/article/download/853/1049

Akpuokwe et al. (2024) article is an excellent example of how the United States approaches the topic of gun control laws on the general background of international phenomena. The authors provide histories in American firearm regulation focusing on key legislations, including the Second Amendment and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. Therefore, the study pioneers comparative analysis with different international viewpoints and case studies, demonstrating the multifaceted nature of interventions and a need for better and more efficient firearm policy. Stressing the effectiveness of a strictly non-partisan approach and the principles of utilitarianism in the question of the relation between the Second Amendment and the need to protect people’s lives, the research also highlights the necessity of pragmatically approaching policy-making in the USA concerning the problems connected with firearms. Sources within the article provide statistical contrasts and timelines that support genuine legislative comparisons and contribute to the international orientation of the work, showing trends in contemporary legislation on gun control. Therefore, the current study brings important information to the ongoing debate on the use of guns in society, making a key point about the culture, political systems, and society. At the same time, it embraces some empirical research findings.