This month's Why Social Science Post comes from The Conversation, where Monica L. McDermott and David R. Jones examine how and why the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed now after three decades of unsuccessful attempts to pass gun reform legislation.
By Monika L. McDermott, Professor of Political Science at Fordham University; and David R. Jones, Professor of Political Science at Baruch College, CUNY
Gun control legislation almost never passes Congress, even when there is widespread public support for action in the wake of mass shootings such as those in Buffalo and Uvalde. That’s why we did not expect that on June 25, 2022, President Joe Biden would sign into law a bill containing a set of gun reform provisions known as the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.” Based on our expertise studying public opinion and the U.S. Congress, here are four reasons we believe some gun control measures got enacted this time around.