A 15 page research paper that offers and extensive literature review that addresses the impact of state gun law on gun-related violence. The writer argues that, based on this research, strict gun control lowers gun violence levels. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: KL9_khgunvio.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
however, the relationship between gun laws and violence is complex, involving: demographics, levels of urbanization, poverty, unemployment, organized crime, alcohol and drug use, extent of gun ownership, predominance of
handguns vs. rifles and shotguns in the community, and proximity to other states with weaker or stronger laws ("Gun control," 2000). Furthermore, "criminal justice, social and educational policies" also
have an influence on this relationship ("Gun control," 2000). The following review of empirical literature investigates the impact that gun law has had on gun violence, with a particular focus
on whether or not strict gun control laws, such as those in California and New York, have produced a lower level of gun violence when compared to states with fewer
gun control laws. A 2000 study conducted by the Open Society Institutes Center on Crime, Communities and Culture and the Funders Collaborative for Gun Violence Prevention provided the "first
comprehensive snapshot of the nations gun laws ("Gun control," 2000). This study involved 30 measures which were categorized under six headings: "registration of firearms, safety training, regulation of firearm sales,
safe storage and accessibility, owner licensing and litigation and preemption" ("Gun control," 2000). The average state score on these measures was a low 9 percent and only a few
states scored more than 50 percent of the 100 available points ("Gun control," 2000). The study also illustrated the extreme variety in gun control law that exists across the country,
as states with strict gun control laws, such as Massachusetts and Hawaii, scored 70 percent, while the lowest scoring state was Maine at 10 percent ("Gun control," 2000). Literature
Review The Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 banned the possession of "military-style semiautomatic firearms (i.e., assault weapons) and ammunition magazines capable of holding more than