115-768: The Pink Pistols are an LGBTQ gun rights organization in the United States and Canada. Their motto is "Pick on someone your own caliber ". Inspired by a Salon.com article written by Jonathan Rauch , Krikket (aka Doug Krick), a libertarian activist from Illinois while living in Massachusetts , founded the Pink Pistols in July 2000. The organization had at least 45 chapters, as of October 2014. Those chapters are located in 33 states and three countries that are principally made up of gun-owning LGBT individuals, though neither status
230-469: A mixed economy , and the welfare state ; Bill Clinton and other New Democrats have pushed for free trade and neoliberalism , which is seen to have shifted the party rightwards. Into the 21st century, Democrats are strongest in the Northeast and West Coast and in major American urban centers. African Americans and Latinos tend to be disproportionately Democratic, as do trade unions . In 2004, it
345-475: A picto-person aiming a handgun in an isosceles stance superimposed on a pink triangle . The pink triangle, now a gay pride and gay rights symbol, was originally a badge that homosexual concentration camp victims were forced to wear during the Holocaust . According to spokesperson Gwen Patton, "We don't want people to hurt us, we want people to run away from us, and the best way we have found to do that
460-442: A broad coalition—including small farmers, Northern city dwellers with ' urban political machines ', organized labor, European immigrants, Catholics, Jews, African Americans, liberals, intellectuals, and reformers", as well as traditionally Democratic segregationist white Southerners. Opposition Republicans were split between a conservative wing, led by Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft , and a more successful moderate wing exemplified by
575-588: A constitutional right of individual self-defense." The individual right interpretation of the Second Amendment first arose in Bliss v. Commonwealth (1822), which evaluated the right to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state pursuant to Section 28 of the Second Constitution of Kentucky (1799). The right to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state was interpreted as an individual right, for
690-498: A dramatic political shift. The Democrats were now the party of "big government", the dominant party (retaining the presidency until 1952 and controlling both houses of Congress for most of the period from the 1930s to the mid-1990s), and positioned towards liberalism while conservatives increasingly dominated the GOP. The New Deal raised the minimum wage, established Social Security , and created other federal services. Roosevelt "forged
805-408: A month at local firing ranges to practice shooting, and to acquaint people new to firearms with them. We will help you select a firearm, acquire a permit, and receive proper training in its safe and legal use for self-defense. The more people know that members of our community may be armed, the less likely they will be to single us out for attack. The Pink Pistols' symbol consists of an overhead view of
920-520: A notable acceleration during and after 2020. According to the National Firearms Survey of 2021, the largest and most comprehensive study of U.S. firearm ownership, privately owned firearms are involved in approximately 1.7 million defensive use cases annually. The survey also indicates a rise in the diversity of firearm owners, with increased ownership rates among females and ethnic minorities compared to previous years. U.S. gun politics
1035-561: A number of years. According to the Huffington Post, "NAGR is the much leaner, more pugnacious version of the NRA. Where the NRA has looked to find some common ground with gun reform advocates and at least appear to be reasonable, NAGR has been the unapologetic champion of opening up gun laws even more." These groups believe any compromise leads to greater restrictions. According to the authors of The Changing Politics of Gun Control (1998), in
1150-701: A part of the social life of many communities. 1896 saw the beginning of the Progressive Era . The Republican Party still dominated and the interest groups and voting blocs were unchanged, but the central domestic issues changed to government regulation of railroads and large corporations (" trusts "), the protective tariff, the role of labor unions , child labor , the need for a new banking system, corruption in party politics, primary elections, direct election of senators, racial segregation , efficiency in government, women's suffrage , and control of immigration. Some realignment took place, giving Republicans dominance in
1265-423: A person runs for partisan office. In most states, this means declaring oneself a candidate for the nomination of a particular party and one's intention to enter that party's primary election for office. A party committee may choose to endorse candidate(s) seeking the nomination, but in the end the choice is up to those who choose to vote in the primary, and it is often difficult to tell who will be voting. The result
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#17328588994621380-487: A reliance on a regular army . Throughout the 19th century the institution of the organized civilian militia gradually declined. The unorganized civilian militia under current U.S. law consists of all able-bodied males at least seventeen years of age and under the age of 45—with some exceptions—who are not members of the National Guard or Naval Militia, as codified in 10 U.S.C. § 246 . Closely related to
1495-416: A right to keep and bear arms for their common defense", while rejecting a challenge to a statute prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons. The Arkansas high court declared "That the words 'a well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free State', and the words 'common defense' clearly show the true intent and meaning of these Constitutions [i.e., Arkansas and the U.S.] and prove that it
1610-499: A transitional President in the wake of the Nixon scandals, was considered by many at the time to possibly be a closet boll weevil Democrat . In time, not only did conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans retire, switch parties, or lose elections, so did centrists (such as Rudy Giuliani , George Pataki , Richard Riordan , and Arnold Schwarzenegger ). Eventually a large nationwide majority of rural and working-class whites became
1725-527: Is a political and not an individual right, and, of course, that the State, in her legislative capacity, has the right to regulate and control it: This being the case, then the people, neither individually nor collectively, have the right to keep and bear arms." Joel Prentiss Bishop 's influential Commentaries on the Law of Statutory Crimes (1873) took Buzzard's militia-based interpretation, a view that Bishop characterized as
1840-404: Is different for each party, but they are made up primarily of representatives from state parties, affiliated organizations, and others important to the party. However, the national committees do not have the power to direct the activities of members of the party. Both parties also have separate campaign committees which work to elect candidates at a specific level. The most significant of these are
1955-515: Is increasingly influenced by demographic factors and political party affiliation , with notable differences observed in gender, age, and income levels as reported by major social surveys. Firearms in American life begin with the earliest attempts to settle and colonize the United States. Firearms were made, imported and provided for agrarian, hunting, defense and diplomatic purposes. A connection between shooting skills and survival among American men in
2070-509: Is mandatory for membership. The political orientation of the Pink Pistols is considered unusual due to the popular perception in the United States of firearms ownership as a conservative issue and sexuality as a liberal issue . Pink Pistols' activities include firing range visits and political activism . The group occasionally produces report cards on politicians, rating their position on issues of interest to members. According to pinkpistols.org: The Pink Pistols get together at least once
2185-432: Is that American political parties have weak central organizations and little central ideology, except by consensus. Unlike in many countries, the party leadership cannot prevent a person who disagrees with basic principles and positions of the party, or actively works against the party's aims, from claiming party membership, so long as primary election voters elect that person. Once in office, elected officials who fail to "toe
2300-441: Is to be armed." Patton has also stated that, "the Pink Pistols tend to get a better response from firearms supporters than from homosexuals". The group's membership increased from 1,500 to 4,500 in the week after the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting . As of June 24, 2016, the membership is over 7,000, and there are 36 chapters around the country. The group experienced a further rise in interest following Donald Trump 's election to
2415-631: The 2014 midterm elections , the Democratic Party was also the majority party in the United States Senate . A 2011 USA Today review of state voter rolls indicates that the number of registered Democrats declined in 25 of 28 states (some states do not register voters by party). During this time, Republican registration also declined, as independent or no preference voting was on the rise. In 2011, Democrats numbers shrank 800,000, and from 2008 they were down by 1.7 million, or 3.9%. In 2018,
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#17328588994622530-564: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) as described by Title II . In United States v. Miller (1939) the Court did not address incorporation, but whether a sawn-off shotgun "has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia." In overturning the indictment against Miller, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas stated that
2645-651: The Civil War , the Republican Party became the dominant party in America for decades, associated with the successful military defense of the Union and often known as the "Grand Old Party" (GOP). The Republican coalition consisted of businessmen, shop owners, skilled craftsmen, clerks, and professionals who were attracted to the party's modernization policies and newly enfranchised African Americans ( freedmen ). The Democratic Party
2760-410: The D.C. Circuit became the first federal appeals court to strike down a gun control law on Second Amendment grounds. Smart guns only fire when in the hands of the owner, a feature gun control advocates say eliminates accidental firings by children, and the risk of hostile persons (such as prisoners, criminal suspects, an opponent in a fight, or an enemy soldier) grabbing the gun and using it against
2875-568: The Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 (AWB or AWB 1994), which defined and banned the manufacture and transfer of "semiautomatic assault weapons " and "large capacity ammunition feeding devices. " According to journalist Chip Berlet , concerns about gun control laws along with outrage over two high-profile incidents involving the ATF ( Ruby Ridge in 1992 and the Waco siege in 1993) mobilized
2990-834: The Federalist Party , which supported the ratification of the Constitution, and the Anti-Administration party (Anti-Federalists), which opposed a powerful central government and later became the Democratic-Republican Party . The subject of political parties is not mentioned in the United States Constitution . The Founding Fathers did not originally intend for American politics to be partisan. In Federalist No. 9 and No. 10 , Alexander Hamilton and James Madison , respectively, wrote specifically about
3105-720: The Firearm Owners Protection Act . It was supported by the National Rifle Association because it reversed many of the provisions of the GCA. It also banned ownership of unregistered fully automatic rifles and civilian purchase or sale of any such firearm made from that date forward. The assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981 led to enactment of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Law) in 1993 which established
3220-524: The Gunpowder Incident and a face-off between Patrick Henry and hundreds of militia members on one side and the Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, and British seamen on the other. The Gunpowder Incident was eventually settled by paying the colonists for the powder. According to historian Saul Cornell , states passed some of the first gun control laws, beginning with Kentucky's law to "curb
3335-688: The National Academy of Sciences arrived at nearly identical conclusions in 2004. In September of that year, the Assault Weapons Ban expired due to a sunset provision . Efforts by gun control advocates to renew the ban failed, as did attempts to replace it after it became defunct. The NRA opposed bans on handguns in Chicago, Washington D.C., and San Francisco while supporting the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (also known as
3450-535: The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control , then run by Mark L. Rosenberg , including research authored by Arthur Kellermann . In October 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on the effectiveness of gun violence prevention strategies that concluded "Evidence was insufficient to determine the effectiveness of any of these laws." A similar survey of firearms research by
3565-544: The People's Party (Populist) candidate James B. Weaver (1892), Theodore Roosevelt 's Progressive or " Bull Moose party " (1912), Robert M. La Follette 's Progressive Party (1924), Strom Thurmond 's Dixiecrat States Rights Party (1948), Henry A. Wallace 's Progressive Party (1948), George Wallace 's American Independent Party (1968), and Ross Perot running as an Independent (1992). American political parties are more loosely organized than those in other countries, and
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3680-667: The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its offshoot the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO), and the Second Amendment Sisters (SAS), often take stronger stances than the NRA and criticize its history of support for some firearms legislation, such as GCA. The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) has been an outspoken critic of the NRA for
3795-624: The Southern United States . (By 1905 most black people were effectively disenfranchised in every Southern state.) During the post-Civil War era of the nineteenth century, parties were well-established as the country's dominant political organizations, and party allegiance had become an important part of most people's consciousness. Party loyalty was passed from fathers to sons, and in an era before motion pictures and radio, party activities, including spectacular campaign events complete with uniformed marching groups and torchlight parades, were
3910-592: The Whig Party led by Henry Clay . This marked the return of the two-party political system, but with different parties. The early Democratic Party stood for individual rights and state rights, supported the primacy of the Presidency ( executive branch ) over the other branches of government, and opposed banks (namely the Bank of the United States ), high tariffs, and modernizing programs that they felt would build up industry at
4025-430: The de facto leader of their respective party, and thus usually bring out supporters who in turn vote for the party's candidates for other offices. On the other hand, federal midterm elections (where only Congress, and not the president, is up for election) are usually regarded as a referendum on the sitting president's performance, with voters either voting in or out the president's party's candidates, which in turn helps
4140-455: The left-of-center party since the time of the New Deal , and the Republican Party now being the right-of-center party. Political parties are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution , which predates the party system. The two-party system is based on laws, party rules, and custom . Several third parties also operate in the U.S. and occasionally have a member elected to local office; some of
4255-566: The militia movement of citizens who feared that the federal government would begin to confiscate firearms. Though gun control is not strictly a partisan issue, there is generally more support for gun control legislation in the Democratic Party than in the Republican Party . The Libertarian Party , whose campaign platforms favor limited government regulation, is outspokenly against gun control. The National Rifle Association (NRA)
4370-545: The pre-incorporation era , the U.S. Supreme Court consistently ruled that the Second Amendment (and the Bill of Rights) restricted only Congress, and not the States, in the regulation of guns. Scholars predicted that the Court's incorporation of other rights suggested that they may incorporate the Second, should a suitable case come before them. The first major federal firearms law passed in
4485-460: The " Hill committees ", which work to elect candidates to each house of Congress. State parties exist in all fifty states, though their structures differ according to state law, as well as party rules at both the national and the state level. Despite these weak organizations, elections are still usually portrayed as national races between the political parties. In what is known as " presidential coattails ", candidates in presidential elections become
4600-417: The "Arkansas doctrine," as the orthodox view of the right to bear arms in American law. The two early state court cases, Bliss and Buzzard , set the fundamental dichotomy in interpreting the Second Amendment, i.e., whether it secured an individual right versus a collective right. In the years immediately following the Civil War , the question of the rights of freed slaves to carry arms and to belong to
4715-437: The 1887 Chicago anarchist Haymarket affair case, Spies v. Illinois ": Though originally the first ten Amendments were adopted as limitations on Federal power, yet in so far as they secure and recognize fundamental rights – common law rights – of the man, they make them privileges and immunities of the man as citizen of the United States... Since the late 19th century, with three key cases from
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4830-481: The 1980s and beyond. In 1980, conservative Republican Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter on a platform of smaller government and sunny optimism that free trade and tax cuts would stimulate economic growth, which would then "trickle down" to the middle and lower classes (who might not benefit initially from these policies). The Republican Party was now said to rest on " three legs ": Christian right social conservatism (particularly
4945-638: The 20th century was the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934. It was passed after Prohibition -era gangsterism peaked with the Saint Valentine's Day massacre of 1929. The era was famous for criminal use of firearms such as the Thompson submachine gun (Tommy gun) and sawed-off shotgun . Under the NFA, machine guns, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and other weapons fall under the regulation and jurisdiction of
5060-476: The 21st century, along with becoming overly partisan, America politics has become overly focused on national issues and "nationalized". The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the U.S. Founded as the Democratic Party in 1828 by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren , it is the oldest extant voter-based political party in the world. Since 1912, the Democratic Party has positioned itself as
5175-529: The American two-party system emerged from George Washington 's immediate circle of advisers, which included Alexander Hamilton and James Madison . Hamilton and Madison wrote against political factions in The Federalist Papers (1788), but by the 1790s, differing views concerning the course of the new country had developed, and people who held these views tried to win support for their cause by banding together. Followers of Hamilton's ideology took up
5290-504: The American colonies. Since at least the time of the Glorious Revolution , English political ideology was strongly opposed to the idea of a standing army . Therefore, the armed citizen-soldier carried responsibility. Service in colonial militia, including providing one's own ammunition and weapons, was mandatory for all men. Yet, as early as the 1790s, the mandatory universal militia duty evolved gradually to voluntary militia units and
5405-504: The Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment, to limit the powers of the State governments, stating that the Second Amendment "has no other effect than to restrict the powers of the national government." Akhil Reed Amar notes in The Yale Law Journal , the basis of common law for the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution, which would include the Second Amendment, "following John Randolph Tucker 's famous oral argument in
5520-746: The Court to argue the case. The Court only heard argument from the federal prosecutor. In its ruling, the Court overturned the trial court and upheld the NFA. The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) was passed after the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy , Senator Robert Kennedy , and African-American activists Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. The GCA focuses on regulating interstate commerce in firearms by generally prohibiting interstate firearms transfers except among licensed manufacturers, dealers, and importers. It also prohibits selling firearms to certain categories of individuals defined as "prohibited persons." In 1986, Congress passed
5635-507: The Democratic and Republican parties have no formal organization at the national level that controls membership. Thus, for example, in many states the process to determine a party's candidate for office is a public election (a political primary ) open to all who have signed up as affiliated with that party when they register to vote, not just those who donate money and are active in the party. Party identification becomes somewhat formalized when
5750-499: The Democrats or Republicans. The need to win popular support in a republic led to the American invention of voter-based political parties in the 1790s. Americans were especially innovative in devising new campaign techniques that linked public opinion with public policy through the party. Political scientists and historians have divided the development of America's two-party system into six or so eras or "party systems", starting with
5865-619: The Federalists had disappeared as an organization, and Andrew Jackson 's presidency split the Democratic-Republican Party: "Jacksonians" became the Democratic Party, while those following the leadership of John Quincy Adams became the National Republican Party (unrelated to the later Republican Party). After the 1832 election, opponents of Jackson—primarily National Republicans, Anti-Masons , and others—coalesced into
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#17328588994625980-571: The Federalists were too elitist to compete effectively. The Federalists survived in the Northeast, but their refusal to support the War of 1812 verged on secession and was a devastating blow to the party when the war ended well. The Era of Good Feelings under President James Monroe (1816–1824) marked the end of the First Party System and was a brief period in which partisanship was minimal. By 1828,
6095-504: The Founders "did not believe in parties as such, scorned those that they were conscious of as historical models, had a keen terror of party spirit and its evil consequences", but "almost as soon as their national government was in operation, [they] found it necessary to establish parties." Since their creation in the 1800s, the two dominant parties have changed their ideologies and bases of support considerably, while maintaining their names. In
6210-699: The Fourteenth Amendment after the Civil War also concentrated on what the Southern States were doing to harm the newly freed slaves. One particular concern was the disarming of former slaves. The Second Amendment attracted serious judicial attention with the Reconstruction era case of United States v. Cruikshank which ruled that the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment did not cause
6325-576: The Jacksonian Era, the first collective right (or group right) interpretation of the Second Amendment arose. In State v. Buzzard (1842), the Arkansas high court adopted a militia-based, political right, reading of the right to bear arms under state law, and upheld the 21st section of the second article of the Arkansas Constitution that declared, "that the free white men of this State shall have
6440-505: The National Firearms Act of 1934, "offend[ed] the inhibition of the Second Amendment to the Constitution." The federal government then appealed directly to the Supreme Court. On appeal the federal government did not object to Miller's release since he had died by then, seeking only to have the trial judge's ruling on the unconstitutionality of the federal law overturned. Under these circumstances, neither Miller nor his attorney appeared before
6555-777: The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, and the Pink Pistols . New groups have also arisen, such as the Students for Concealed Carry , which grew largely out of safety-issues resulting from the creation of gun-free zones that were legislatively mandated amidst a response to widely publicized school shootings . In 2001, in United States v. Emerson , the Fifth Circuit became the first federal appeals court to recognize an individual's right to own guns. In 2007, in Parker v. District of Columbia ,
6670-673: The Republican Party, an upper business class, historically part of the Republican Party since the Gilded Age , began moving left. According to Ross Douthat , "Today’s G.O.P. is most clearly now the party of local capitalism—the small-business gentry, the family firms", while "much of corporate America has swung culturally into liberalism’s camp. [...] The party’s base regards corporate institutions—especially in Silicon Valley, but extending to more traditional capitalist powers—as cultural enemies". Although American politics have been dominated by
6785-441: The Republican Party, made up of Catholics and Evangelical Protestants who, until this point, were usually strongly opposed, but now united in opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. Increased political polarization was the trend; county caucuses and state conventions were gradually replaced with political primaries, wherein the party base could defeat moderate candidates who appealed to general election voters but were disliked by
6900-627: The School Safety And Law Enforcement Improvement Act), which strengthened requirements for background checks for firearm purchases. The GOA took issue with a portion of the bill, which they termed the "Veterans' Disarmament Act." Besides the GOA, other national gun rights groups continue to take a stronger stance than the NRA. These groups include the Second Amendment Sisters, Second Amendment Foundation, Jews for
7015-399: The Second Amendment's restrictions are incorporated by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and thereby apply to state as well as federal law, and most recently in the NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022). As emphasized in Bruen , the Second Amendment makes an "unqualified command" that the "individual-right" of firearms ownership, as opposed to the collective or militia-based theory of
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#17328588994627130-478: The United States has become increasingly subject to federal judicial interpretation of the Constitution. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." In 1791, the United States adopted the Second Amendment, and in 1868 adopted the Fourteenth Amendment . The historical tradition bounded by these two amendments has been
7245-478: The United States, only smart guns may be sold in the state. Some gun safety advocates worry that by raising the stakes of introducing the technology, this law contributes to the opposition that has prevented smart guns from being sold anywhere in the United States despite availability in other countries. Political parties in the United States American electoral politics have been dominated by successive pairs of major political parties since shortly after
7360-456: The West before the Sun Belt boom. Both regions were much less populated than the North, yet politically powerful. Additional Democratic voters included conservative pro-business Bourbon Democrats , traditional Democrats in the North (many of them former Copperheads ), and Catholic immigrants. As the party of states' rights, post-Civil War Democrats opposed civil rights legislation. As the (sometimes) populist party of small farmers, it opposed
7475-528: The aftermath of the U.S. Civil War , the Democratic party was an agrarian, pro-states-rights, anti-civil rights, pro- easy money , anti-tariff, anti-bank coalition of Jim Crow Solid South and Western small farmers. Budding labor unions and Catholic immigrants were the primary participants in the Democratic party of the time. During the same period, the dominant Republican party was composed of large and small business owners, skilled craftsmen, clerks, professionals, and freed African Americans, based especially in
7590-411: The anti-abortion movement), fiscal conservatism and small government (particularly supporting tax cuts), and strong anti-communist military policy (with increased willingness to intervene abroad ). While there is no consensus that a Seventh Party System has begun, many have noted unique features of a political era starting with the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump . During and following
7705-400: The base of the Republican Party, while the Democratic Party was increasingly made up of a coalition of African Americans, Latinos, and white urban progressives. Whereas college-educated voters had historically skewed heavily towards the Republican party, high educational attainment was increasingly a marker of Democratic support. Together, this formed the political system in the Reagan Era of
7820-405: The breaking of white segregationist Solid South away from the Democratic Party and their migration towards the Republican Party. Southern white voters started voting for Republican presidential candidates in the 1950s, and Republican state and local candidates in the 1990s. Anti-Vietnam War protests alienated conservative Democrats from the protesters. The "religious right" emerged as a wing of
7935-579: The campaign, "Reagan Revolution" rhetoric and policy began to be replaced by new themes in the Republican Party. There was more emphasis on cultural conservatism (opposition not just to abortion, but also gay marriage and transgender rights). Additionally, support for free trade and liberal immigration was replaced by opposition to economic globalization and immigration from non-European countries. Distrust of institutions and loyalty for President Donald Trump became common among Republican voters during this time. Although conservative blue-collar workers migrated to
8050-434: The case of a concealed sword cane. This case has been described as about "a statute prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons [that] was violative of the Second Amendment". The first state court decision relevant to the "right to bear arms" issue was Bliss v. Commonwealth . The Kentucky court held that "the right of citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State must be preserved entire,..." Also during
8165-409: The colonial expanses was often a necessity, and could serve as a ' rite of passage ' for those entering manhood. Today, the figures of the settler colonist, hunter and outdoorsman survive as central to American gun culture, regardless of modern trends away from hunting and rural life. Prior to the American Revolution , there was neither the ability nor political desire to maintain a standing army in
8280-505: The colonial militias fanned what had been a smoldering resentment of British interference into the fires of war. These two incidents were the attempt to confiscate the cannon of the Concord and Lexington militias, leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord of April 19, 1775, and the attempt, on April 20, to confiscate militia powder stores in the armory of Williamsburg, Virginia, which led to
8395-592: The contest), joined the Board of Directors of Operation Blazing Sword/Pink Pistols (two gun rights-LGBT organizations that merged in 2018). Gun politics in the United States Gun politics in the United States is characterized by two primary opposing ideologies regarding private firearm ownership . Advocates of gun control support increasingly restrictive regulations on gun ownership, while proponents of gun rights oppose such restrictions and often support
8510-408: The dangers of domestic political factions . In addition, the first President of the United States , George Washington , was not a member of any political party at the time of his election nor throughout his tenure as president. Furthermore, he hoped that political parties would not form, fearing conflict and stagnation, as outlined in his Farewell Address . Historian Richard Hofstadter wrote that
8625-452: The expense of farmers. It styled itself as the party of the "common man". Presidents Andrew Jackson , Martin Van Buren , and James K. Polk were all Democrats who defeated Whig candidates, but by narrow margins. Jackson's populist appeal and campaigning inspired a tradition of not just voting for a Democrat, but identifying as a Democrat; in this way, political parties were becoming a feature of social life, not just politics. The Whigs, on
8740-531: The fact is proved, without all redemption. In the years prior to the American Revolution , the British, in response to the colonists' unhappiness over increasingly direct control and taxation of the colonies, imposed a gunpowder embargo on the colonies in an attempt to lessen the ability of the colonists to resist British encroachments into what the colonies regarded as local matters. Two direct attempts to disarm
8855-602: The founding of the republic of the United States. Since the 1850s, the two largest political parties have been the Democratic Party and the Republican Party —which together have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856 . Despite keeping the same names, the two parties have evolved in terms of ideologies, positions, and support bases over their long lifespans, in response to social, cultural, and economic developments—the Democratic Party being
8970-585: The founding-era of American Federalist politics, debates regarding firearm availability and gun violence in the United States have been characterized by concerns about the right to bear arms , as found in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution , and the responsibility of the United States government to serve the needs of its citizens and to prevent crime and deaths . Firearms regulation supporters say that indiscriminate or unrestricted gun rights inhibit
9085-482: The funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control." This language was added to prevent the funding of research by the CDC that gun rights supporters considered politically motivated and intended to bring about further gun control legislation. In particular, the NRA and other gun rights proponents objected to work supported by
9200-525: The government from fulfilling that responsibility, and causes a safety concern. Gun rights supporters promote firearms for self-defense – including security against tyranny , as well as hunting and sporting activities . Gun control advocates state that restricting and tracking gun access would result in safer communities, while gun rights advocates state that increased firearm ownership by law-abiding citizens reduces crime and assert that criminals have always had easy access to firearms. Gun legislation in
9315-458: The highest estimated number of guns per capita in the world, at 120.5 guns for every 100 people. In the summer of 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia , leaders of the settlement came together to pass the first gun law: That no man do sell or give any Indians any piece, shot, or powder, or any other arms offensive or defensive, upon pain of being held a traitor to the colony and of being hanged as soon as
9430-675: The industrial Northeast and new strength in the border states. The era began after the Republicans blamed the Democrats for the Panic of 1893 , which later resulted in William McKinley 's victory over William Jennings Bryan in the 1896 presidential election . The disruption and suffering of the Great Depression (1929–1939), and the New Deal programs (1933–39) of Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt designed to deal with it, created
9545-718: The industrial northeast. By the start of the 21st-century, the Democratic party had shifted to become a left-wing party, disproportionately composed of women, LGBT people, union members, and urban, educated, younger, non-white voters. At the same time, the Republican party had shifted to become a right-wing party, disproportionately composed of family business, older, rural, southern, religious, and white working-class voters. Along with this realignment, political and ideological polarization increased and norms deteriorated, leading to greater tension and "deadlocks" in attempts to pass ideologically controversial bills. The beginnings of
9660-559: The industry from the misuse of its products used in shooting incidents. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence began in 1974 as Handgun Control Inc. (HCI). Soon after, it formed a partnership with another fledgling group called the National Coalition to Ban Handguns (NCBH) – later known as the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV). The partnership did not last, as NCBH generally took a tougher stand on gun regulation than HCI. In
9775-474: The interests of big business, such as protective tariffs that raised prices on imported goods needed by rural people. The party favored cheap-money policies , including low interest rates and inflation favoring those with substantial debts, such as small farmers. Civil War and Reconstruction issues polarized the parties until the Compromise of 1877 , which saw the withdrawal of the last federal troops from
9890-481: The lack of central control of the parties in America means they have become as much "labels" to mobilize voters as political organizations, and that "variations (sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant) in the 50 political cultures of the states yield considerable differences", suggesting that "the American two-party system" actually masks "something more like a hundred-party system." Other political scientists, such as Lee Drutman and Daniel J. Hopkins in 2018, argued that in
10005-604: The larger ones include the Constitution , Green , Alliance , and Libertarian parties, with the latter being the largest third party since the 1980s. A small number of members of the U.S. Congress, a larger number of political candidates, and a good many voters (35–45%) have no party affiliation. However, most self-described independents consistently support one of the two major parties when it comes time to vote, and members of Congress with no political party affiliation caucus meet to pursue common legislative objectives with either
10120-616: The late 1970s, the NRA changed its activities to incorporate political advocacy. Despite the impact on the volatility of membership, the politicization of the NRA has been consistent and the NRA-Political Victory Fund ranked as "one of the biggest spenders in congressional elections" as of 1998. According to the authors of The Gun Debate (2014), the NRA taking the lead on politics serves the gun industry's profitability. In particular when gun owners respond to fears of gun confiscation with increased purchases and by helping to isolate
10235-455: The liberal party on domestic issues. The economic philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt , which has strongly influenced modern American liberalism , has shaped much of the party's agenda since 1932. Roosevelt's New Deal coalition controlled the White House until 1968, with the exception of the two terms of President Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961. Until the mid-20th century, the Democratic Party
10350-512: The liberalization of gun ownership. These groups typically differ in their interpretations of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution , as well as in their views on the role of firearms in public safety, their impact on public health, and their relationship to crime rates at both national and state levels. Since the early 21st century, private firearm ownership in the United States has been steadily increasing, with
10465-647: The militia came to the attention of the federal courts. In response to the problems freed slaves faced in the Southern states, the Fourteenth Amendment was drafted. When the Fourteenth Amendment was drafted, Representative John A. Bingham of Ohio used the Court's own phrase "privileges and immunities of citizens" to include the first Eight Amendments of the Bill of Rights under its protection and guard these rights against state legislation. The debate in Congress on
10580-463: The militia tradition is the frontier tradition, with the need for self-protection pursuant to westward expansion and the extension of the American frontier . Though it has not been a necessary part of daily survival for over a century, "generations of Americans continued to embrace and glorify it as a living inheritance – as a permanent ingredient of this nation's style and culture". Since
10695-456: The name " Federalist "; they favored a strong central government that would support the interests of commerce and industry and close ties to Britain. Followers of the ideology of Madison and Thomas Jefferson , initially referred to as " Anti-Federalists ", became known as the " Democratic-Republicans "; they preferred a decentralized agrarian republic in which the federal government had limited power. The Jeffersonians came to power in 1800;
10810-482: The national background check system to prevent certain restricted individuals from owning, purchasing, or transporting firearms. In an article supporting passage of such a law, retired chief justice Warren E. Burger wrote: Americans also have a right to defend their homes, and we need not challenge that. Nor does anyone seriously question that the Constitution protects the right of hunters to own and keep sporting guns for hunting game any more than anyone would challenge
10925-411: The next session of Congress to either pass or block the president's agenda, respectively. As noted above, the modern political party system in the United States has traditionally been dominated by two parties, with the parties being the Democratic Party and the Republican Party . Explanations for why America has a two-party system include: Political scientist Nelson W. Polsby argued in 1997 that
11040-477: The other hand, advocated the supremacy of Congress over the executive branch, as well as policies of modernization and economic protectionism. Central political battles of this era were the Bank War and the spoils system of federal patronage. Presidents William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor were both Whig candidates. In the 1850s, the issue of slavery took center stage, with disagreement in particular over
11155-595: The overwhelming electoral defeat by Franklin Pierce in the 1852 presidential election . Ex-Whigs joined the Know Nothing party or the newly formed, anti-slavery Republican Party . While the Know Nothing party was short-lived, Republicans would survive the intense politics leading up to the Civil War. The primary Republican policy was that slavery be excluded from all the territories. Just six years later, this new party captured
11270-557: The owner. Gun rights advocates fear mandatory smart gun technology will make it more difficult to fire a gun when needed. Smith & Wesson reached a settlement in 2000 with the administration of President Bill Clinton, which included a provision for the company to develop a smart gun. A consumer boycott organized by the NRA and NSSF nearly drove the company out of business and forced it to drop its smart gun plans. The New Jersey Childproof Handgun Law of 2002 requires that 30 months after "personalized handguns are available" anywhere in
11385-555: The party base. Around 1968, a breakup of the old Democratic Party New Deal coalition began and American politics became more polarized along ideology. The following decades saw the dissipation of the blurred ideological character of political party coalitions. Previously, there were Democratic elected officials (mostly in the South) who were considerably more conservative than many Republican senators and governors (for example, Nelson Rockefeller ). Even Jimmy Carter , who ultimately served as
11500-604: The party line" because of constituent opposition to it, and "cross the aisle" to vote with the opposition, have (relatively) little to fear from their party. An elected official may change parties simply by declaring such intent. At the federal level, each of the two major parties has a national committee (the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee ) that acts as the hub for much fund-raising and campaign activities, particularly in presidential campaigns. The exact composition of these committees
11615-504: The politics of Northeastern leaders such as Nelson Rockefeller , Jacob Javits , and Henry Cabot Lodge . The latter steadily lost influence inside the GOP after 1964. Civil rights legislation driven by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson , such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 , along with Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign and later President Richard Nixon 's " Southern strategy ", began
11730-426: The practice of carrying concealed weapons in 1813." There was opposition and, as a result, the individual right interpretation of the Second Amendment began and grew in direct response to these early gun control laws, in keeping with this new "pervasive spirit of individualism." As noted by Cornell, "Ironically, the first gun control movement helped give birth to the first self-conscious gun rights ideology built around
11845-510: The presidency later that year. By April 2017, the group claimed a membership of over 9,000. On September 23, 2018, trans woman Erin Palette became the new president of the Pink Pistols. On October 19, 2018, Pink Pistols founder Doug "Krikket" Krick died due to suicide. In January 2020, winner of Season 4 of the History Channel show Top Shot , Chris Cheng (the first openly gay man to win
11960-518: The presidency when Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860. This election marked the beginning of the Democratic and Republican parties as the major parties of America. The anti-slavery Republican Party emerged in 1854. It adopted many of the economic policies of the Whigs, such as national banks, railroads, high tariffs, homesteads, and aid to land grant colleges. After the defeat of the Confederacy in
12075-511: The question of whether slavery should be permitted in the country's new territories in the West. The Whig Party attempted to straddle the issue with the Kansas–Nebraska Act , where the status of slavery would be decided based on popular sovereignty (i.e. the citizens of each territory, rather than Congress, would determine whether slavery would be allowed). The Whig Party sank to its death after
12190-463: The right to own and keep fishing rods and other equipment for fishing – or to own automobiles. To 'keep and bear arms' for hunting today is essentially a recreational activity and not an imperative of survival, as it was 200 years ago. ' Saturday night specials ' and machine guns are not recreational weapons and surely are as much in need of regulation as motor vehicles. A Stockton, California, schoolyard shooting in 1989 led to passage of
12305-450: The right, is protected from all restriction unless a government authority can demonstrate their law is with the Nation's historical tradition of firearms regulation. In 2018 it was estimated that U.S. civilians own 393 million firearms , and that 40% to 42% of the households in the country have at least one gun. However, record gun sales followed in the following years. The U.S. has by far
12420-497: The subject of U.S. Supreme Court decisions in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), where the Court affirmed for the first time that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to possess firearms for traditionally lawful purposes (such as self-defense within the home), independent of service in a state militia, in McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010), where the Court ruled that
12535-866: The two-party system, third political parties have appeared from time to time in American history, but seldom lasted more than a decade. They have sometimes been the vehicle of an individual (as in Theodore Roosevelt 's "Bull Moose" party , and Ross Perot 's Reform Party ); had considerable strength in particular regions (such as the Socialist Party , Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota, Wisconsin Progressive Party , Conservative Party of New York State , and Populist Party ); or continued to run candidates for office to publicize ideas despite seldom winning even local elections ( Libertarian Party , Natural Law Party , Peace and Freedom Party ). The oldest third party
12650-490: The wake of the 1980 murder of John Lennon , HCI saw an increase of interest and fundraising and contributed $ 75,000 to congressional campaigns. Following the Reagan assassination attempt and the resultant injury of James Brady , Sarah Brady joined the board of HCI in 1985. HCI was renamed in 2001 to Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. In 1996, Congress added language to the relevant appropriations bill which required "none of
12765-515: Was founded to promote firearm competency and natural conservation in 1871. The NRA supported the NFA and, ultimately, the GCA. After the GCA, more strident groups, such as the Gun Owners of America (GOA), began to advocate for gun rights. According to the GOA, it was founded in 1975 when "the radical left introduced legislation to ban all handguns in California." The GOA and other national groups like
12880-613: Was the Anti-Masonic Party , which was formed in upstate New York in 1828. The party's creators feared the Freemasons , believing they were a powerful secret society that was attempting to rule the country in defiance of republican principles. By 1840, the party had been supplanted by the Whig Party. Some other significant but unsuccessful parties that ran a candidate for president include: the Know Nothing or American Party (1844–1860),
12995-507: Was the dominant party among white southerners, and was then the party most associated with the defense of slavery. Following the Great Society under Lyndon B. Johnson , the Democratic Party became the more progressive party on issues of civil rights, and they would slowly lose dominance in southern states until 1996. Since the mid-20th century, Democrats have generally been in the center-left and support social justice , social liberalism ,
13110-407: Was the largest political party, with 72 million registered voters (42.6% of a total 169 million registered) claiming affiliation. Although his party lost the election for president in 2004, Barack Obama would later go on to become president in 2009 and continue to be the president until January 2017. Obama was the 15th Democrat to hold the office, and from the 2006 midterm elections until
13225-773: Was usually in opposition during this period, although it often controlled the Senate or the House of Representatives or both. The Democrats were known as "basically conservative and agrarian-oriented", and like the Republicans, the Democrats were a broad-based voting coalition. Democratic support came from the Redeemers of the Jim Crow " Solid South " (i.e. solidly Democratic), where "repressive legislation and physical intimidation [were] designed to prevent newly enfranchised African Americans from voting". Further Democratic support came from small farmers in
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