Planting in Fertile Soil: The National Rifle Association and State Firearms Legislation*

Abstract

Objective Are increases in citizen demand for guns a boon to advocates of firearms deregulation? We examine this question via state firearms legislation approved between 2009 and 2013, a period marked both by state activism regarding firearms and large surges in the demand for guns in response to Barack Obama's two presidential elections. Methods We conduct a multivariate analysis of an original data set of state firearms laws approved between 2009 and 2013. We measure directional shifts in the tenor of firearms legislation across 49 states, controlling for both demographic and political variables. Result During this period, deregulation of firearms was associated with more ideologically conservative state legislatures as well as the interaction between Obama‐induced surges in gun sales and increased National Rifle Association state campaign spending. Conclusion The findings suggest that increased citizen demand for firearms provides a legislative climate that is advantageous for groups advocating the deregulation of firearms.

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