The Impact of Racial Fear on Attitudes Toward Gun Control

Authors

Emily Ready, College of William & Mary

Volume Number

47

Issue Number

1

Abstract

Racial fear and gun control are two politically salient issues that appear to be related in ways not fully understood. I examine this relationship by focusing on guns as a means of self-defense against different nationalities that may be perceived as threatening to some American citizens. Using a variety of statistical techniques, I find first that an explicit measure of racial fear exerts no significant effect on preferences for wider access to concealed-carry permits, likely attenuated by social desirability bias. Yet, support for increased border security and opposing admittance of Syrian refugees as proxies for racial fear significantly and substantially increase the likelihood of supporting increased access to concealed-carry permits, in line with expectations.

Recommended Citation

Ready, Emily (2019) "The Impact of Racial Fear on Attitudes Toward Gun Control," Journal of Political Science: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/jops/vol47/iss1/4