The Changing Politics of Gun Control [Paperback]

Gun control is among the more difficult subjects to do research and write about in a dispassionate manner...To the editors' credit, the essays they have choosen are all heavily empirical and illuminate the changing politics of gun control in the United States.In recent years, political discourse about gun control and the Second Amendment has become increasingly volatile and this collection of original essays by top scholars illuminates the various reasons why.In recent years, political discourse about gun control and the Second Amendment has become increasingly volatile and this collection of original essays by top scholars illuminates the various reasons why. Gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association are more organized and aggressive and their issue agenda has evolved as new and more powerful weapons and militia appear. On the other side of the debate, the critical wounding of James Brady gave gun control advocates a visible martyr with strong ties to Republican conservatives. In sum, gun control and the right to bear arms have become hotly disputed issues where political alignments are constantly shifting. The contributors chart these changes and explore how Congress, the courts, the President, and individual states are currently addressing the issue of gun control. This book, which includes profiles and examinations of relevant interest groups, the gun control coalition, recent Supreme Court decisions, and public opinion surveys, will be of great interest to classes in political science, American government, law, and sociology.Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Jackboots or Lace Panties? The Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, and Firearms Chapter 4 Congress and Gun Control Chapter 5 Madison's Mistake? Judicial Construction of the Second Amendment Chapter 6 Gun Control Politics in California Chapter 7 The Structure of Public Support for Gun Control: The 1998 Battle over Question 3 in Maryland Chapter 8 Virginia: The Politcs of Concealed Weapons Chl1