A national survey conducted by the Emerson College Polling Society (ECPS) found that 55 percent Americans support stricter gun laws while only 12 percent are against it.
The survey also suggests that 83 percent of respondents support universal background checks on gun buyers and a ban on assault weapons is supported by 60 percent.
On other policies under consideration, 58 percent of those polled favored a ban on magazines, which hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Nearly 51 percent support a ban on video games that depict gun violence with 29 percent opposing such legislation, according to a press statement of the Polling Society.
The placement of armed guards in schools is the most controversial policy among those polled with 47 percent of the voters supporting such placement and 36 percent opposing. Gender differences on this policy were also revealed. Fifty-five percent of males support armed guards in schools with only 39 percent of women favoring this policy.
Grey VanDeMark, president of the ECPS speculated that GOP lawmakers ought not to oppose all gun control measures, as the poll found that "64 percent of Republicans support universal background checks and 38 percent of Republicans support a ban on assault weapons."
According to analyst Kwon Jung, "69 percent of females want stricter gun laws, while only 41% of men do".
The press release stated that 65 percent of voters were able to correctly define "assault weapon" as automatic or semi-automatic rifles with large capacity magazines designed for military use.
Out of the overall sample, 49 percent has a favorable view of the National Rifle Association. However, only 17 percent of Democrats surveyed view the NRA positively.
Among those surveyed who were identified as members of the NRA, 65 percent support universal background checks on gun buyers. Forty-five percent of the participants in the survey owned a gun.
