David A. Hopkins, Columnist

The Gun Lobby’s Strength Is Cultural, Not Financial

The NRA’s biggest achievement was defining gun ownership as a distinctive form of social identity.

March 30, 2023 at 5:25 PM UTC

David A. Hopkins is an associate professor of political science at Boston College and the author of "Red Fighting Blue: How Geography and Electoral Rules Polarize American Politics."

A popular position, but so far no change in policy. — A popular position, but so far no change in policy.
Photographer: Seth Herald/Getty Images North America

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Gun politics in the US demonstrates that a popular majority does not always get its way. Even though most Americans support stricter gun-safety laws, proposals for major new regulations reliably face impassable obstacles in Congress.