Americans who favor stricter gun control think gun crime has increased

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 64 percent of Americans who favor stricter gun control laws in the United States also have the misperception that gun crime has gone up in the past 20 years. A plurality (43 percent) of those who oppose stricter gun control say gun crime has decreased.

Interestingly, 54 percent of Democrats think gun crime has increased in the US over the past 20 years, compared to 29 percent of Republicans and 25 percent of Independents. …

Although gun crime has significantly decreased since the 1990s, few Americans are aware of it. A Pew Research Poll found only 12 percent of Americans think gun crime is lower and 56 percent say crimes involving guns are higher. Women (65 percent) are significantly more likely than men (46 percent) to think gun crime has increased.