The Gun Gap

In The Gun Gap, Mark R. Joslyn advances gun owners as a new classification for understanding political behavior and attitudes. He demonstrates a "gun gap," which captures the differences between gun owners and non-gun owners, and shows how this gap improves conventional behavioral and attitudinal models. The gap represents an important explanation for voter choice, voter turnout, perceptions of personal and public safety, preferences for gun control policies, and support for the death penalty. Moreover, the 2016 presidential election witnessed the largest recorded gun gap in history. The Gun Gap thus affords a new and compelling vantage point to evaluate modern mass politics.

Mark R. Joslyn is Professor of Political Science at University of Kansas. He has authored over 50 journal articles, including publications in The American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Behavior, and Political Psychology. His research explores political attitude formation and change.

Introduction: The Neglected Gun Gap 1. Understanding gun culture 2. A gun gap in voter choice 3. A gun gap in voter turnout 4. Safer with a gun 5. Feelings toward gun owners 6. How many gun owners? 7. A gun gap in death penalty support Conclusion: Moving forward References index