The new edition of this classic text covers the latest developments in American gun policy, including shooting incidents plaguing the American landscape - especially Sandy Hook, the Colorado theatre shootings and the tragic death of Trayvon Martin - placing them in context with similar recent events. The incidents described in the book sparked a wave of gun control legislation at local, state and national levels, some of which was successful, some doomed and all controversial. At the national level, President Obama put his political capital on the line to push for new gun control measures, only to see them shot down by Congress.Robert J. Spitzer has long been a recognised authority on gun control and gun policy. His even-handed treatment of the issue - as both a member of the NRA and the Brady Center - continues to compel national and international interest, including interviews by the likes of Terry Gross, Tom Ashbrook and Diane Rehm. This sixth edition of The Politics of Gun Control provides the reader with up-to-date data and coverage of gun ownership, gun deaths, school shootings, border patrols and new topics including social media, stand-your-ground laws, magazine regulation, and shooting-related mental health initiatives.

Author Biography

Robert J. Spitzer is Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at SUNY-Cortland.