More now prioritize controlling gun ownership than protecting gun rights % saying it is more important to Control gun ownership
Opinions about whether it is more important to control gun ownership or protect gun rights have been closely divided for several years. Today, somewhat more say it is more important to control gun ownership (52%) than to protect the right of Americans to own guns (44%), according to a separate national survey, conducted Sept. 18-24 among 1,754 adults.
These attitudes, like many related to gun policy, have long been deeply divided along partisan lines. But the partisan gap has widened: In 2010, Barack Obama’s second year in office, Republicans were about twice as likely as Democrats to prioritize gun rights rather than gun control (65% vs. 33%). Today, Republicans are four times more likely than Democrats to say gun rights are more important (76% vs. 19%).
More now prioritize controlling gun  | ownership than protecting gun rights  | % saying it is more important to  | Control gun ownership  | 66  | 60  | 52  | 55  | 42  | 45  | 46  | 44  | 32  | 29  | Protect the right of  | Americans to own guns  | '00 102 '04 '06 '08 '10 .12 '14 '16 '18  | % who say itis more important to protect the rightof  | Americans say to OWN guns important  | 81  | 76  | 66  | 56  | 56  | Rep/Lean Rep  | 38  | 29  | 28  | 19  | 20  | Dem/Lean Dem  | 22  | 'OO '02 00 199 108 '10 '12 114 '16 '18  | Note: Don't know responses not shown.  | Source: Survey of US adults conducted Sept 18-24 2018  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 