Gun politics in the United States
Gun politics in the United States is the political debate and policy conflict over firearms, including their ownership, use, and regulation.
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution: The constitutional amendment protecting the right to keep and bear arms, ratified in 1791. Its text anchors disputes over whether and how government may regulate firearm possession.
Gun rights: Legal and political claims that individuals should be able to possess and use firearms, subject to varying limits. Advocates frame firearm access as a constitutional liberty and a safeguard against danger.
National Rifle Association: A United States organization founded in 1871 that promotes firearm training, shooting sports, and gun-rights advocacy. Its lobbying and political campaigns have made it a prominent force in national gun debates.
Gun violence in the United States: The deaths, injuries, and threats involving firearms in the United States, including homicides, suicides, and accidents. Its scale and forms supply the central public-safety stakes in policy disputes.
District of Columbia v. Heller: A 2008 Supreme Court decision recognizing an individual Second Amendment right to possess a firearm for lawful purposes such as self-defense. It established an individual-right interpretation that reshaped constitutional challenges to gun laws.
Gun control: Laws and policies intended to restrict or regulate firearm possession, transfer, or use. The term names the regulatory approach opposed by many gun-rights advocates.
Gun Owners of America: A United States gun-rights advocacy organization founded in 1975. It often presses for more expansive interpretations of gun rights than the NRA.
Mass shooting: An incident in which multiple people are shot, with definitions varying across data sources and jurisdictions. High-profile mass shootings often trigger renewed calls for legislative action.
McDonald v. City of Chicago: A 2010 Supreme Court decision applying the Second Amendment right recognized in Heller to state and local governments. It extended the constitutional constraint on firearm regulation beyond the federal government.
Universal background check: A policy requiring background checks for nearly all firearm transfers, including many private sales. Its supporters emphasize closing transfer loopholes; opponents dispute its reach and likely effects.