Gun Politics in The United States

Gun politics in the United States has long been among the most controversial issues in American politics. For the last several decades, the debate regarding both the restriction and availability of firearms within the United States has been characterized by a stalemate between an individual right to bear arms based on the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and the responsibility of government to prevent crime, maintain order and protect the wellbeing of its citizens.

In District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment protects the right of an individual to own a firearm for the purposes of self-defense, most notably within the home, while at the same time reaffirming the constitutionality of a wide range of long standing gun control laws. Repeated polling has found that a majority of Americans believe the constitution ensures their right to own a gun, with less than 40 percent of Americans favoring stricter gun laws.