Applying What We Know and Building an Evidence Base

Abstract

Abstract While discerning the gun safety measures that can reduce the problem of American gun violence is methodologically challenging, a growing body of evidence has strengthened the conclusion that the instrumentality effect in part explains why the United States is such an outlier among affluent nations in overall homicides and mass shootings, while not standing out in terms of overall crime. An increasing number of empirical studies buttresses the view that restrictions on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, as well as restrictions on carrying guns outside the home and on access to firearms (along with determined efforts to enforce these restrictions), can provide meaningful benefits. At the same time, potent political and economic forces try to undermine this evidence and reject its claims. Indeed, the expanded interpretation of the Second Amendment adopted in the recent US Supreme Court Bruen decision—which specifically held that empirical evidence on the impact of gun safety regulation is irrelevant—may take many beneficial policy measures off the table.