Study Claims Most People Vastly Overestimate Number Of Gun Owners In U.S.

By Tom Knighton

How many gun owners are there in the United States? It’s a question that matters these days. As Democrats are set to take control of the House in January and have vowed to try and push gun control, the number of people who own guns is an important thing to consider. While it shouldn’t matter, it does, especially to politicians who are more concerned with winning their re-election bids.

But a new study claims that people vastly overestimate the actual number of gun owners in the country.

Most people vastly overestimate the population of gun owners in the United States, and it potentially influences how groups approach gun policies, according to a study by two University of Kansas political scientists.

“Because gun owners are actually a minority, perceiving their group as larger and even as a majority could make them feel more empowered to advocate on gun issues,” said Don Haider-Markel, professor and chair of the KU Department of Political Science. “Likewise, non-gun owners that perceive a larger gun owner population now and in the future might be less likely to advocate for gun regulations.”

Mark Joslyn, professor of political science, and Haider-Markel are co-authors of the study recently published in …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms