Partisan gaps on effects of gun ownership on crime, mass shootings % saying ifmore Americans owned guns, there would be % saying ifit were harder for people to legally
Nearly two-thirds of Democrats (64%) say there would be fewer mass shootings in the U.S. if it were harder for people to legally obtain guns; only about a quarter of Republicans (27%) say the same. And Republicans are skeptical that making it harder to legally obtain guns would have an effect on mass shootings: 54% say it would not make a difference, while 18% think restricting access to guns would lead to more mass shootings.
Partisan gaps on effects of gun  | ownership on crime, mass shootings  | % saying ifmore Americans owned guns, there  | would be  | crime  | More  | No difference  | Less  | All adults  | 35  | 32  | 33  | Rep/Lean Rep 14  | 29  | 56  | Dem/Lean Dem  | 51  | 34  | 15  | % saying ifit were harder for people to legally  | obtain guns in the U.S., there would be  | mass  | shootings  | Fewer  | No d ifference  | More  | All ad lults  | 47  | 39  | 13  | 27  | Rep/Lean Rep  | 54  | 18  | Dem/Lean Dem  | 64  | 27  | 8  | Note: Respondents who didn'toffer an answer notshown.  | Source Respondents Survey ofU.S adults conducted March 13-27 and April4-  | 18, 2017.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 