| Popis: |
In the wake of an increasing number of mass shootings and gun-related incidents in the US, public discourse on gun control has intensified, leading to a polarized political environment where consensus on policy reform remains elusive. In this paper, we argue that an overlooked factor influencing Americans' firearm policy preferences is rural identity - or an individual's psychological attachment to a rural area. We test these expectations using data from the 2020 ANES and original survey data from an opt-in panel. Overall, we find that rural identity is associated with favorable estimations of the National Rifle Association (NRA) - an influential organization that mobilizes public opinion on firearms. Rural identifiers are also somewhat less supportive of a range of policy measures that would tighten the regulation of firearms. However, we find that the magnitude of the effects of rural identity on attitudes towards guns to be surprisingly small. Crucially, we find that rural identifers exhibit net-levels of support for background checks, a ban semi-automatic rifles, and a federal program to buy back "assault style rifles," suggesting that public officials' inaction on the regulation of firearms is out of step with the preferences of rural electorates. Our findings also have implications for what it means to hold a rural identity beyond a generalized animosity towards urban areas, and for understanding place-based differences in political attitudes - including those on guns. |
