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9780190064822

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Mark Joslyn's new and important book comes at just the right time, as it coincides with the rise of an increasingly politicized and partisan gun rights movement. Joslyn's analysis enhances our understanding of the political consequences of the gun rights movement by demonstrating that gun fealty is as significant in explaining political behavior as race, sex, or partisanship. More than that, he elucidates critical political distinctions within the gun community. This scrupulous and careful study significantly advances our understanding of the gun rights movement as a political phenomenon. -Robert J. Spitzer, Distinguished Service Professor, Political Science, SUNY Cortland, and author of Guns across America In The Gun Gap, Mark Joslyn does us all a great service by taking us on a thoughtful, data-informed journey through the distinctive and large gun culture in the United States, and how political differences are structured on membership (or not) in that culture. He shows that gun ownership is a culture, and that the notion of weapons ownership is an explicit part of our constitutional architecture, one which looms as an explicit force in the same manner as race in shaping the Republic. Guns literally divide us, and are as powerful a shortcut as religious identity in guessing our politics. In the process, he demonstrates too the frustrating path dependency that surrounds gun debates and the response to shootings, and instead asks us to 'begin anew' in how we engage guns in our polity and our politics. It's a powerful, sobering read which speaks to both an issue that divides us, and how to transcend that division. -Keith Gaddie, The University of Oklahoma With the gun issue dividing America as never before, Joslyn argues persuasively that firearm owners form a politically important constituency--but one that is far from monolithic. Serious gun collectors differ from casual owners in all sorts of beliefs and behaviors, and these differences matter for politics. This survey-rich book provides a nice complement to ethnographic work on American gun culture(s). -Kristin A. Goss, Kevin D. Gorter Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University This expansive and thoroughly-researched book makes clear that gun ownership is a crucial--but previously underappreciated--driver of Americans' political attitudes and actions. Pulling together an impressive amount of data from a wide-range of sources, Joslyn's eye-opening work compellingly demonstrates that understanding contemporary American politics requires that we pay attention to the country's growing 'gun gap.' That Joslyn does this in a very even-handed and accessible fashion makes the book even more impressive. -Matthew J. Lacombe, Barnard College, Columbia University

This expansive and thoroughly-researched book makes clear that gun ownership is a crucial * but previously underappreciated * With the gun issue dividing America as never before, Joslyn argues persuasively that firearm owners form a politically important constituency * but one that is far from monolithic. Serious gun collectors differ from casual owners in all sorts of beliefs and behaviors, and these differences matter for politics. This survey-rich book provides a nice complement to ethnographic work on American gun culture(s). -Kristin A. Goss, Kevin D. Gorter Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University * In The Gun Gap, Mark Joslyn does us all a great service by taking us on a thoughtful, data-informed journey through the distinctive and large gun culture in the United States, and how political differences are structured on membership (or not) in that culture. He shows that gun ownership is a culture, and that the notion of weapons ownership is an explicit part of our constitutional architecture, one which looms as an explicit force in the same manner as race in shaping the Republic. Guns literally divide us, and are as powerful a shortcut as religious identity in guessing our politics. In the process, he demonstrates too the frustrating path dependency that surrounds gun debates and the response to shootings, and instead asks us to 'begin anew' in how we engage guns in our polity and our politics. It's a powerful, sobering read which speaks to both an issue that divides us, and how to transcend that division. -Keith Gaddie, The University of Oklahoma Mark Joslyn's new and important book comes at just the right time, as it coincides with the rise of an increasingly politicized and partisan gun rights movement. Joslyn's analysis enhances our understanding of the political consequences of the gun rights movement by demonstrating that gun fealty is as significant in explaining political behavior as race, sex, or partisanship. More than that, he elucidates critical political distinctions within the gun community. This scrupulous and careful study significantly advances our understanding of the gun rights movement as a political phenomenon. -Robert J. Spitzer, Distinguished Service Professor, Political Science, SUNY Cortland, and author of Guns across America

"""A valuable resource for those interested in the roots and expression of the US's polarized gun politics. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers."" -- D. Yamane, CHOICE ""Mark Joslyn's new and important book comes at just the right time, as it coincides with the rise of an increasingly politicized and partisan gun rights movement. Joslyn's analysis enhances our understanding of the political consequences of the gun rights movement by demonstrating that gun fealty is as significant in explaining political behavior as race, sex, or partisanship. More than that, he elucidates critical political distinctions within the gun community. This scrupulous and careful study significantly advances our understanding of the gun rights movement as a political phenomenon."" -Robert J. Spitzer, Distinguished Service Professor, Political Science, SUNY Cortland, and author of Guns across America ""In The Gun Gap, Mark Joslyn does us all a great service by taking us on a thoughtful, data-informed journey through the distinctive and large gun culture in the United States, and how political differences are structured on membership (or not) in that culture. He shows that gun ownership is a culture, and that the notion of weapons ownership is an explicit part of our constitutional architecture, one which looms as an explicit force in the same manner as race in shaping the Republic. Guns literally divide us, and are as powerful a shortcut as religious identity in guessing our politics. In the process, he demonstrates too the frustrating path dependency that surrounds gun debates and the response to shootings, and instead asks us to 'begin anew' in how we engage guns in our polity and our politics. It's a powerful, sobering read which speaks to both an issue that divides us, and how to transcend that division."" -Keith Gaddie, The University of Oklahoma ""With the gun issue dividing America as never before, Joslyn argues persuasively that firearm owners form a politically important constituency--but one that is far from monolithic. Serious gun collectors differ from casual owners in all sorts of beliefs and behaviors, and these differences matter for politics. This survey-rich book provides a nice complement to ethnographic work on American gun culture(s)."" -Kristin A. Goss, Kevin D. Gorter Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University ""This expansive and thoroughly-researched book makes clear that gun ownership is a crucial--but previously underappreciated--driver of Americans' political attitudes and actions. Pulling together an impressive amount of data from a wide-range of sources, Joslyn's eye-opening work compellingly demonstrates that understanding contemporary American politics requires that we pay attention to the country's growing 'gun gap.' That Joslyn does this in a very even-handed and accessible fashion makes the book even more impressive."" -Matthew J. Lacombe, Barnard College, Columbia University"

Author Information

Mark R. Joslyn is Professor of Political Science at University of Kansas. He has authored over 50 journal articles, including publications in The American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Behavior, and Political Psychology. His research explores political attitude formation and change.

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