Originally posted to RAND Corporation.
In the third edition of The Science of Gun Policy, part of the RAND Corporation’s Gun Policy in America initiative, researchers seek objective information about what the scientific literature reveals about the likely effects of various gun laws. In the third edition of this report, the authors incorporate more-recent research in their synthesis of the available scientific data regarding the effects of 18 state firearm policies on firearm deaths, violent crime, suicides, the gun industry, defensive gun use, and other outcomes.
By highlighting where scientific evidence is accumulating, the authors hope to build consensus around a shared set of facts that have been established through a transparent, nonpartisan, and impartial review process. In so doing, they also illuminate areas in which more and better information could make important contributions to establishing fair and effective gun policies.
In a related new essay, Gun Buyback Programs in the United States, Amanda Charbonneau provides an overview of gun buyback programs in the United States, describes key findings from the small body of research on the effectiveness of these programs, and concludes with an exploration of policy considerations. Gun buyback programs compensate individuals who turn over firearms to a public agency or private organization. The primary goal of gun buyback programs is to prevent firearm violence by reducing the stock of firearms in a community.