The Changing Politics of Gun Control [Hardcover]

John M. Bruce (Editor, Contributor), Clyde Wilcox (Editor), Graham Barron (Contributor), Elizabeth Adell Cook (Contributor), Keith R. Eakins (Contributor), Ted G. Jelen (Contributor), James G. Gimpel (Contributor), Marcia L. Godwin (Contributor), David R., Jr. Harding (Contributor), Lael R. Keiser (Contributor), Diana Lambert (Contributor), Wendy L. Martinek (Contributor), Samuel C. Patterson (Contributor), Kenneth J. Meier (Contributor), Karen O'Connor (Contributor), Mark J. Rozell (Contributor), Ronald G. Shaiko (Contributor), Jean Reith Schroedel (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1998 | ISBN-10: 0847686140 | ISBN-13: 978-0847686148

In recent years, political discourse about gun control and the Second Amendment has become increasingly volatile and this collection of original essays by top scholars illuminates the various reasons why. Gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association are more organized and aggressive and their issue agenda has evolved as new and more powerful weapons and militia appear. On the other side of the debate, the critical wounding of James Brady gave gun control advocates a visible martyr with strong ties to Republican conservatives. In sum, gun control and the right to bear arms have become hotly disputed issues where political alignments are constantly shifting. The contributors chart these changes and explore how Congress, the courts, the President, and individual states are currently addressing the issue of gun control. This book, which includes profiles and examinations of relevant interest groups, the gun control coalition, recent Supreme Court decisions, and public opinion surveys, will be of great interest to classes in political science, American government, law, and sociology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Gun control is among the more difficult subjects to do research and write about in a dispassionate manner...To the editors' credit, the essays they have choosen are all heavily empirical and illuminate the changing politics of gun control in the United States. (Gregg Lee Carter H-Pol July 1999 )

About the Author

John M. Bruce is assistant professor of political science and director of the Social Science Research Laboratory at the University of Mississippi.

Clyde Wilcox is professor of government at Georgetown University, and the author of many books, including God at the Grass Roots: The Christian Right in the 1996 Elections (Rowman & Littlefield), Second Coming: The New Christian Right in Virginia Politics (Johns Hopkins), with Mark Rozell, and Serious Money: Fundraising and Contributing in Presidential Nomination Campaigns (Cambridge), with Clifford Brown, Jr. and Lynda Powell.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847686140
• ISBN-13: 978-0847686148
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,633,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice piece of scholarly work., January 3, 2000

By 

Andrew Garner (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Changing Politics of Gun Control (Paperback)

On the whole, the work was put together nicely. Although the two editors acknowledge for purposes of full disclosure their preferences towards a certain degree of gun control, they take care to differentiate between their scholarly work and their personal opinions. They present a number of well-balanced essays covering gun control and gun politics. For those seeking pro-gun or anti-gun propaganda to fit preconceived notions towards this policy arena, I suggest you find other material. Books from Wayne LaPierre or Sarah Brady would suffice for those purposes. However, this book is perfect for a researched and documented study of a full array of perspectives on gun control and gun policy.

It is true that people approaching this book from one or the other perspective will inevitably disagree with some parts. For instance, I found myself extremely disappointed with Diana Lambert's hit piece against the NRA titled: Trying to Stop the Craziness of This Business. On the other hand, the use of John Kingdon's agenda model (from his book on policy agendas) as applied to the area of gun control made for fascinating and insightful reading. The book could have been better, but it unquestionably deserves a higher rating than other reviews have given. Do not let the biased opinions of ideologues dissuade you from buying it. Dr. Bruce and Dr. Wilcox are both well-respected scholars in their fields, and they have done an outstanding job with this work.