Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America (Princeton Studies in American Politics) [Paperback]

Kristin A. Goss (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 069113832X | ISBN-13: 978-0691138329 | Publication Date: November 17, 2008

More than any other advanced industrial democracy, the United States is besieged by firearms violence. Each year, some 30,000 people die by gunfire. Over the course of its history, the nation has witnessed the murders of beloved public figures; massacres in workplaces and schools; and epidemics of gun violence that terrorize neighborhoods and claim tens of thousands of lives. Commanding majorities of Americans voice support for stricter controls on firearms. Yet they have never mounted a true national movement for gun control. Why? Disarmed unravels this paradox.

Based on historical archives, interviews, and original survey evidence, Kristin Goss suggests that the gun control campaign has been stymied by a combination of factors, including the inability to secure patronage resources, the difficulties in articulating a message that would resonate with supporters, and strategic decisions made in the name of effective policy. The power of the so-called gun lobby has played an important role in hobbling the gun-control campaign, but that is not the entire story. Instead of pursuing a strategy of incremental change on the local and state levels, gun control advocates have sought national policies. Some 40% of state gun control laws predate the 1970s, and the gun lobby has systematically weakened even these longstanding restrictions.

A compelling and engagingly written look at one of America's most divisive political issues, Disarmed illuminates the organizational, historical, and policy-related factors that constrain mass mobilization, and brings into sharp relief the agonizing dilemmas faced by advocates of gun control and other issues in the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Goss has written an excellent book, useful to all students of lobbying. . . . This thoughtful, well-documented book should be read and examined by would-be gun control activists and other advocates for social reform. -- Choice



Rarely does a book make a significant contribution to two separate fields, but this work by Kristin Goss does. Readers interested in social movements and social movement theory will find an interesting case study of a movement that never happened--efforts to strengthen gun control laws in the United States. Those who study gun control will encounter a unique perspective on the interest group politics and policy making of firearms regulation. Well-researched and clearly written, the book is insightful and informative. Goss's journalistic background is evident, both in her prose and in the relative brevity of the book. Her arguments are clearly elucidated in a first chapter that should serve as a model. -- Harry L. Wilson, Political Science Quarterly

From the Inside Flap

"Having been involved in the gun safety movement since tragedy struck my family in 1993, I understand full well the history of the gun-control movement and the difficulties it has experienced, particularly in light of today's political environment in Washington. Disarmed is an excellent study of the efforts put forth by so many to reduce gun violence."--U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), founder of the Carolyn McCarthy Center on Gun Violence and Harm Reduction

"Kristin Goss has done important work here that fundamentally tells the history of the gun debate over the past twenty-five years and of the efforts of the opposing sides to outmaneuver each other. She deserves praise for research that is remarkable both in quality and in volume, and for presenting a massive body of facts in an extremely readable fashion."--Sarah Brady, Honorary Chair, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

"This outstanding book combines theoretical import with a highly topical policy issue in a form that is exceptionally readable, engaging, thoughtful, mature, and insightful. Superb and inventive data analysis brings the book's theoretical formulations to life as they are applied to one of the most intractable, controversial, and interesting policy issues of the last century, gun control. No one has examined the issue from this end of the lens--the pro-control side--with such analytical depth and rigor until now."--Robert J. Spitzer, author of The Politics of Gun Control

"This book represents a fantastic project, well argued and well-written and much needed. Focusing on a critical policy topic, Kristin Goss posits a strong new idea for studying social movements--why they don't emerge or maybe why they undermobilize. The smooth, almost seamless movement between social and political theory and case material is, quite frankly, the strongest I have ever seen."--Bryan Jones, author of Politics and the Architecture of Choice, coauthor of Agendas and Instability in American Politics

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (November 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069113832X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691138329
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Study of a Non-Event, October 28, 2006

By 

Acute Observer (By the Shore NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America (Princeton Studies in American Politics) (Hardcover)

Does that sound like an episode for a `Seinfeld' show? Goss is an "Assistant Professor of Public Policy Studies and Political Science" at Duke University. No other information about her background is given. This study began as a Ph.D. dissertation and was then developed into this book. She spent a lot of time on it. You should not read this one-sided book unless you have a good knowledge of the facts about this topic. Her statements are often incorrect. There was no "constitutional amendment prohibiting sales and possession" (p.62). Any good book on Prohibition will explain the history of this movement. It was designed to outlaw the meeting places of workingmen where they could talk about the things that affected their lives and the cure. Their oppression at work led to "industrial drinking". Prohibition did not increase prosperity and reduce crime but the reverse. It led to increasing power for organized crime, which often worked in tandem with the elite. Does Duke U. profit from the poisoning and killing of cigarette smokers?

The flaw, or Big Lie, is its unproven assertion that Gun Prohibition is a good thing; no proof in this book. The 1968 Gun Control Act was followed by increased rates of violent deaths (Figure 2.1, page 41). After it was passed the legal technician who wrote this law admitted that whole sections were taken from the 1930s Nazi Gun Control law. This Nazi law was followed by the worst political oppression and highest rates of violence in 20th century Europe. School shootings were unknown before the 1968 Gun Control Act but became a reality with the next generation. Localities with Gun Prohibition have the highest rates of violent death (Washington D.C.) while rural areas with widespread gun ownership have the lowest rates of crime. It all relates to economics and the absence of political oppression. The oppressed suffer from low wages, high taxes, and the poverty that causes crime and "senseless violence" (when somebody snaps). Areas with high gun ownership generally have more owner-operated businesses and a more egalitarian atmosphere.

The US has a lower rate of violent death than Japan or those "industrialized countries" that are never identified for comparison. America has more gun deaths just like it has more automobile deaths or private swimming pool deaths. A big country of 300 million with always have "more" than a smaller country with higher rates of deaths. That is why Gun Prohibitionists are either fooled by their emotional problems or misinformation by the corporate media. Or they are professional liars (from advertising), or lobbyists hired to misinform the public. Every day 3,000 people enter the US illegally to flee the hell of gun-free countries! Figure 4.2 on page 140 shows the after-effects of the 1968 Gun Control Act in increased murders. Or are they caused by factors that can't be mentioned, such as the increased watching of cable TV shows? Goss doesn't tell that Morton Grove's law (p.162) was an attempt to prevent the competition of a new gun shop! Handguns were banned but there were no reports of anyone turning their guns in for confiscation. Starting in 1989 Florida there are now 36 states with a "right to carry" laws. The lack of this fact in this book demonstrates its bias and failure to adequately cover the topic of gun control. The high "fog index" for these chapters prevents its intended use but allows it to serve as a warning about its strategy. Chapter 7 indicts the gun control movement. Does Goss think corporate millions are needed for more political oppression?

18 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The missing logic...., April 14, 2008

By 

Lathrop on Stuff "Uncovering the substandard" (Katmandu, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America (Princeton Studies in American Politics) (Hardcover)

After reading this political fantasy, I am struck that the only thing missing from this book is the simple, logical question, "Why would ANYONE who still has a right, give up that right or any right, especially when it is a means to defend themselves or their family?" The founders of this nation would be shocked!

13 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, November 12, 2006

By 

Busy Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America (Princeton Studies in American Politics) (Hardcover)

This excellent book tackles a continuing paradox in American public life: why despite overwhelming public opinion in favor of gun control does America not have an effective gun control movement? Professor Kristin Goss provides an incisive and thoughtful analysis of this paramount issue. The book is compellingly argued and well researched, and is written in a straight forward and concise manner that is rare in academic texts. I am puzzled by the first posted review: did the reviewer actually read Prof. Goss' book? It appears that the reviewer merely used his space to advance his own pro-gun agenda. This book is not a gun control screed, as the first reviewer would have it be. In fact Prof. Goss devotes an entire chapter to problems with the gun banning philosophy. The book is a careful and well-balanced discussion of the political roots one of the most troubling features of American life, the persistence of firearms violence. I highly recommend this captivating book to all who seek to broaden their understanding of the politics of gun control.