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Curated

ABC News Crime Poll, November 1993 (ICPSR 6293)

Released/updated on: 1996-11-21
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll focused on crime in the United States. Respondents were asked to estimate whether violent crime was going up or down in the United States and in their own neighborhoods. The survey also posed questions designed to estimate crime trends involving assault weapons and to determine whether respondents favored or opposed stronger legislation controlling the distribution of handguns and assault weapons in the United States. Additional questions related to legislation that would put a heavy tax on bullets. Respondents were asked whether they thought that stronger legislation controlling the distribution of handguns in the United States and the tax on bullets would reduce the amount of crime and violence, and if respondents would give up some of their freedoms if it meant a reduction in criminal activity. Demographic variables include race and sex.
Curated

ABC News/The Washington Post Gun Poll, April 2007 (ICPSR 24587)

Released/updated on: 2010-08-05
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded April 22, 2007, is a part of continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on various political and social issues. This poll focused on respondents' views on gun control and laws. Respondents were asked whether they favored stricter gun laws, whether they would support laws requiring a nationwide ban on semiautomatic handguns, a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, a nationwide ban on people carrying a concealed weapon, and a law requiring a nationwide ban on the sale of handguns, except to law enforcement officers. Respondents were also asked whether they thought stricter gun control laws would reduce the amount of violent crime, whether the best way of reducing gun violence was either by passing stricter gun control laws or by stricter enforcement of existing laws, if the respondent or anyone in their home owned a gun, and whether they thought states should or should not be required to report mentally ill people to a federal database in order to prevent them from buying guns. Views were sought concerning the Virginia Tech shooting and university policies. Specifically, respondents were asked whether they thought school officials did or did not do enough to investigate concerns that the student who committed these shootings was mentally unstable, whether news organizations did the right thing or the wrong thing by airing photos and videos of the Virginia Tech gunman, whether they supported a law requiring universities to provide stricter screening and counseling for students who are suspected of being mentally unstable and possibly dangerous to themselves or others, and whether they supported changing confidentiality laws so that when a college student is suspected of being mentally disturbed, the school would be required to notify their parents. Views were also sought on the primary cause of gun violence in America and whether shootings like the one at Virginia Tech could happen in the respondent's community. Respondents were queried on whether they supported legislation giving Washington, D.C., a full voting member in the United States House of Representatives and whether they approved of the proposed law that would give Democratic D.C. a full voting member in the House, while also giving the Republican state of Utah another congressional seat. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, education, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.
Curated

ABC News/Washington Post Kosovo Poll, May 1999 (ICPSR 2773)

Released/updated on: 1999-08-20
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, fielded May 16, 1999, sought respondents' views on the conflict in Kosovo as well as their attitudes toward gun ownership and control laws in the United States. Those queried were asked for their opinions on President Bill Clinton's handling of the situation in Kosovo, the possible use of ground troops, the air strikes being waged against Serbia by the United States and its European allies, and the roles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United States, and the European allies in the peace negotiation process. Respondents were asked for their views on the NATO allies' conditions for ending the conflict, including requiring Serbia to remove its soldiers and special police force from Kosovo, allowing a NATO-led peacekeeping force into Kosovo, permitting the return of all refugees to Kosovo, and granting Kosovo limited self-rule as a province of Serbia. Additional questions elicited views on the NATO allies' bombing of the Chinese consulate in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, which side was winning the conflict, and whether the United States should have become involved. The topic of gun control was also addressed, with items on stricter gun laws, which political party was best suited to handle the issue of gun control, background checks at gun shows, trigger locks, bans on the sale of assault weapons and the sale of guns through the mail and the Internet, and impressions of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Background information on respondents includes age, race, sex, education, political party, and gun ownership.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

CBS News/60 Minutes/Vanity Fair National Poll, April #2, 2012 (ICPSR 34613)

Released/updated on: 2013-06-11
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, the last of two fielded April 2012, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they thought the country was headed in the right direction, and how likely it was that there would be another terrorist attack on the United States within the next few months. Respondents were also queried on their daily driving experiences, whether they were planning on buying a car, how they would rate the condition of the system of roads and bridges in the area where they live, and how safe they feel driving on the local roads and bridges. Opinions were also sought about gasoline prices, the changes in the Republican Party and the Democratic Party over recent decades, and gun control laws. A variety of additional topics were mentioned including upcoming holidays and the Buffett rule. Finally, respondents were asked whether they voted in the 2008 presidential election and who they voted for, whether they supported the Tea Party movement, whether they were registered to vote, and whether they owned a firearm. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, social class, marital status, household makeup, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

CBS News/60 Minutes/Vanity Fair National Poll, December #1, 2012 (ICPSR 34667)

Released/updated on: 2013-06-10
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, the first of two fielded December 2012, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency on issues such as foreign policy, the economy, terrorism, taxes, and the budget deficit. Opinions were collected on the progress of the economy, the job market, the performance of Congress, feelings toward Washington, and whether the country was heading in the right direction. The respondents were also asked for their opinions of the Republican and Democratic parties, Barack Obama, John Boehner, Hillary Clinton, and the difficulty in reaching agreements and passing legislation in Congress. Data were collected on tax increases and spending cuts, expectations of the negotiations between the two parties, the preferred plan for reducing the budget deficit, and whether the respondents approved of Congress raising the federal debt ceiling. Respondents were also asked their views about illegal immigrants, ongoing violence in Syria, gun control laws, the recent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and safety of schools, holiday shopping, and New Year's Eve plans. Additional topics included the worst date movie, the least interesting movie, the most difficult job in Hollywood, expected changes to the Oscars broadcast, quintessential actor and actress, and preference of a great movie over a powerful documentary. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voting behavior, whether respondents were registered to vote, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.
Curated

CBS News National Callback Survey, January #2, 2011 (ICPSR 33482)

Released/updated on: 2012-05-18
Geographic coverage: United States
This callback poll, fielded January 9-10, 2011, and originally fielded December 17-20, 2010, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling his job as president, whether they expected 2011 to be a better year for them and their families than 2010, whether they thought the United States' influence in the world was increasing or decreasing, and whether they thought that China's growing economy was a major threat to the economic well-being of the United States. Respondents were asked for their opinions on Congress' interest in serving special interest groups, whether they thought that most Americans and Congress debate issues in a more civil manner than 10 years ago, whether members of Congress should be given bodyguards, and whether they thought that the United States has made a lot of progress in solving social problems such as poverty, disease, and lack of education in the past 50 years. Respondents were queried on gun control laws, whether they thought it is ever justifiable to take violent action against the government, the shooting in Tucson, Arizona of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by Jared Loughner, to what effect stricter gun control laws would have prevented the violence in Tucson, whether harsh political campaigns had anything to do with the Tucson shooting, whether political views influenced Jared Loughner's shooting, and whether they or anyone in their household owns a firearm. Opinions were solicited on the war in Afghanistan, gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, gay marriage and civil unions, illegal immigration, abortion, and embryonic stem cell research and funding. Additional topics included respondents' experiences with bullies growing up, miscellaneous holiday information, weight loss, opinions on WikiLeaks, the Royal Wedding, product labels, whether they are paid what they are worth, and Attention-Deficit Disorder. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, whether respondents considered themselves to be a born-again Christian, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and voter registration status.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

CBS News National Poll, February #1, 2013 (ICPSR 34993)

Released/updated on: 2014-03-25
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, the first of two fielded in February 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions on how well Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, the situation in Afghanistan, threat of terrorism, the federal budget deficit, immigration, gun policy, energy policy, and whether Obama had clear plans and priorities going forward. Respondents were also asked about the national economy and whether they thought it was getting better, the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit, their experiences with the job market in their areas and how easy it was to find a job. Opinions were solicited regarding respondents' approval of Congress, the Republican and Democratic parties, John Boehner, Joe Biden, and Hilary Clinton. Additional topics included alternative energy, immigration, gun policy, global warming, Saturday mail delivery service, same-sex marriage, unmanned aircraft ("drone") use, Iran, employment opportunities, and the 2013 State of the Union Address. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voting behavior, whether respondents were registered to vote, religious affiliation, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.
Curated

CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, April 2010 (ICPSR 31569)

Released/updated on: 2011-08-05
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, fielded April 5-12, 2010, is a part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way that Barack Obama was handling his job as president, the economy, health care, and the federal budget deficit, what they liked best and least about Obama, whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction, and what they thought was the most important problem facing the country. Information was collected on whether respondents approved or disapproved of the way Congress was handling its job, whether they approved or disapproved of the way their representative in Congress was handling their job, whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of President Obama, how respondents would rate the national economy, and who they thought was mostly to blame for the state of the national economy. Respondents were queried on whether they thought that the government's stimulus package made the economy better or worse, whether they thought that the country needed a third political party, whether they would rather have a smaller government with fewer services or a bigger government providing more services, how they felt things were going in Washington, DC, whether they thought the federal government should spend money to create jobs even if it means increasing the budget deficit, and whether they would rather reduce the federal budget deficit or cut taxes. Respondents were also asked who they thought was to blame for the current federal budget deficit, whether they thought providing government money to banks and other financial institutions was necessary to get the economy out of a recession, whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, John McCain, George Bush, Ron Paul, Glen Beck, and Sarah Palin. Information was collected on what political figure the respondents admired most, whether they thought Sarah Palin would have the ability to be an effective president, whether they thought President Obama understands the need and problems of people like themselves, whether respondents thought he was more of a liberal, a moderate, or a conservative, whether they thought his policies were moving the country more towards socialism, whether they thought he favored a particular race over another, and whether they thought the Obama Administration had raised or lowered taxes for most Americans. Respondents were asked whether they thought that the federal government should require nearly all Americans to have health insurance, whether they thought it would be a good idea to raise income taxes on households that make more than $250,000 a year in order to help provide health insurance for people who do not already have it, whether they approved or disapproved of requiring health insurance companies to cover anyone who applies regardless of whether they have an existing medical condition, and whether they thought that the programs such as Social Security and Medicare are worth the cost of those programs for taxpayers. Respondents were queried on whether they thought legal immigration into the United States should be kept at its presents level, increased, or decreased, how serious a problem they thought illegal immigration was, whether they thought that global warming was causing a serious environmental problem, whether they thought gay couples should be allowed to marry, whether they thought abortion should be legal, whether they thought gun control law should be made more strict, what socialism means to them, and whether they thought it was ever justified for citizens to take violent action against the government. Respondents were also asked a number of questions about the Tea Party movement, including how much have they heard about it, whether they had a favorable opinion of it, whether they supported it, and whether they thought the Tea Party movement generally reflected the views of most Americans. Finally, respondents were asked if they were ever active in a political campaign, whether they purchased gold bars or coins in the past year, what political party they usually vote for, what news network they watched most, how concerned were they that they or someone in their household would lose their job in the next year, whether they ever felt at risk of falling out of their social class, how they would rate their financial situation, whether the recession affected their family, whether they owned a firearm, whether they were covered by Medicare, and whether they receive Social Security retirement benefits. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.
Curated

CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, August 1990 (ICPSR 9503)

Released/updated on: 2010-09-16
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1990-08-16--1990-08-19
This data collection is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that evaluate the Bush presidency and solicit opinions on a variety of political and social issues. Topics covered include foreign policy, the national economy, taxes, respondents' views of the most important problem facing the country and which political party could best handle it, present consequences and future expectations regarding Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the United States' response, whether inflation or unemployment was a more important problem, the federal budget deficit, respondents' party preferences in the 1990 United States House of Representatives election and 1992 presidential election, standards of ethics in government, and factors affecting respondents' preferences in congressional elections. Additionally, respondents were questioned regarding the savings and loan crisis. They were asked how banks compared with savings and loans and who has benefited most from the policies of the federal government. Other topics covered include abortion, respondent's financial situation, whether voting, jury duty, and military service is a duty or a choice, national handgun laws, capital punishment, whether convicted murderers serving life sentences should be paroled, and opinions of George Bush, Neil Bush, David Souter, Congress, and the Democratic and Republican parties. Demographic information collected includes sex, age, race, education, parental status, family income, employment status, religion, ethnicity, political orientation, party preference, voting behavior, party of United States Representative, jury duty service, and service in the armed forces.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

CBS News/New York Times National Poll, January #1, 2013 (ICPSR 34991)

Released/updated on: 2014-04-01
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, the first of two fielded in January of 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way Barack Obama was handling foreign policy, the economy, the federal budget deficit, taxes, and his job as president. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of the way Democrats in Congress, and Republicans in Congress were handling their jobs. Respondents' opinions were solicited on whether things were going better than they were five years prior, their predictions about how the United States would be five years in the future, whether they thought things in the country were going in the right direction, the condition of the national economy, and whether the economy was getting better. Opinions were also solicited on Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, John Boehner, Harry Reid, the National Riffle Association, and gun control laws. Respondents were asked how confident they were in Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions about the economy, Afghanistan, protecting the country, and illegal immigration. Questions were asked about Obama's second term in office including whether respondents were optimistic about the next four years with Barack Obama as president, what they wanted to see Obama accomplish in the next four years, and whether they expected the economy and the health care system to improve by the end of Obama's second term as president. Opinions on the federal budget deficit were collected including the best way to reduce it, which programs respondents would be willing to change in order to cut spending, and who respondents trusted more to make the right decisions about the deficit. Multiple questions addressed the topic of firearms including bans on semi-automatic weapons, high capacity magazines, and people other than law enforcement carrying concealed weapons. Additionally questions were asked regarding background checks on potential gun buyers, the creation of a national database to track gun sales, and gun violence prevention. Additional topics covered include personal finance, job security, and consumer attitudes. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, social class, employment status, religious preference and participation, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians, marital status, household composition, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, voting behavior, and the number of phones in respondents' household.
Curated
Simple Crosstabs

CBS News/New York Times National Survey, April #2, 2013 (ICPSR 34999)

Released/updated on: 2014-04-16
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, the last of two fielded April 2013, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked how Barack Obama was handling the presidency, foreign policy, the national economy, the threat of terrorism, the federal budget deficit, immigration, and gun policy. Multiple questions asked respondents how Congress was handling their job, including whether they thought members of Congress were interested in serving the people they represent or special interest groups, and whether they had favorable opinions of the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress. Opinions were also collected on the condition of the national economy, and which party respondents trusted to make the right decisions. Further questions asked respondents about their opinion of Islam, and whether they believed it encouraged violence. Respondents were also asked multiple questions about immigration, including whether terrorism has increased as a result of legal immigration, who they trusted more to make the right decisions concerning immigration, whether legal immigration should be increased, decreased, or stay the same, and whether respondents would vote for a candidate who does not share their view on immigration. Respondents were also asked multiple questions about the federal budget deficit including who they trusted more to make the right decisions, what effect it would have on the national economy, and how they would reduce the deficit. Additional topics included the budget sequestration, gun laws, the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and terrorism. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, household income, religious preference, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), political party affiliation, political philosophy, and whether respondents thought of themselves as born-again Christians.
Curated

Firearm Legislation and Firearm Violence Across Space and Time, United States, 1970-2012 (ICPSR 36688)

Released/updated on: 2018-05-15
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1970-01-01--2012-01-01

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

The study constructed a comprehensive, longitudinal dataset of all counties nested within U.S. States from 1970 to 2012. The study's main purpose was to facilitate research that would further understanding on firearm legislation and its impacts on violence. This comprehensive data collection effort included information on firearm legislation implemented across U.S. States over time in combination with multiple measures of firearm-related violence and injury. Moreover, to better understand the conditions under which firearm legislation is more or less effective, incorporation of county characteristics allowed for examination of whether the effectiveness of state-level firearm legislation depends upon particular characteristics of counties. The researchers conducted a secondary analysis utilizing a variety of archived external government and census sources.

The Study's Dataset Include two Stata Files:

  • CJRC_firearms_research.dta (95 Variables, 129,027 Cases)
  • state_law_data.dta (19 Variables, 2,168 Cases)
Curated

State Firearm Law Database: State Firearm Laws, 1991-2019 (ICPSR 37363)

Released/updated on: 2020-02-26
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1991-01-01--2019-01-01

The State Firearm Database catalogs the presence or absence of 134 firearm safety laws in 14 categories covering the 26-year period from 1991 to 2019. The classification system categorizes state firearm provisions using a methodology that both captures differences and maintains a level of comparability between states. Because of this, the database is not the most detailed nor the most comprehensive record of all state firearm policies. Other resources may provide users with a deeper understanding of individual provisions, while this database serves as an efficient way to compare the broad scope of state firearm laws across the country. These provisions covered 14 aspects of state policies, including regulation of the process by which firearm transfers take place, ammunition, firearm possession, firearm storage, firearm trafficking, and liability of firearm manufacturers. In addition, descriptions of the criteria used to code each provision have been provided so that there is transparency in how various law exemptions, exceptions, and other nuances were addressed.