CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL For release: Thursday, January 17, 2013 6:30 pm EST

Majority Support for Many Gun-Related Proposals January 11-15, 2013 Nine in 10 Americans favor universal background checks on all potential gun buyers, and 78% support a national gun sale database. Smaller majorities favor bans on high capacity magazines and semi-automatic weapons. Overall, 54% of Americans think gun laws in general should be more strict, and 53% think they would help at least somewhat to deter gun violence. More Americans trust President Obama (47%) than the Republicans in Congress (39%) to make the right decisions about gun laws.

Specific Proposals Americans overwhelmingly approve of universal background checks on all potential gun buyers, a proposal urged by President Obama in a press conference Wednesday. The poll was conducted before the Presidents press conference was held. Nine in 10 approve including nine in 10 gun owners (47% said they or someone in their household owns a gun). 78% of Americans approve of a national database to track gun sales. Smaller majorities also approve of two other proposals by the Obama Administration for curbing gun violence: a national ban on semi-automatic assault weapons, and a national ban on highcapacity magazines. Would You Favor or Oppose ? Background checks on all potential gun buyers A national database to track all gun sales A national ban on high capacity magazines A national ban on semi-automatic weapons A national ban on carrying concealed firearms Favor 92% 78% 63% 53% 32% Oppose 7 20 34 44 65

However, two-thirds of Americans oppose a nationwide ban on carrying a concealed firearm for everyone other than law enforcement officials, which was not proposed by the Obama Administration. Gun owners support a national database to track gun sales (70%), but are opposed to a ban on semi-automatic weapons (64%). They divide on banning high capacity magazine clips: 48% favor a ban, but 51% are against it.

Preventing Gun Violence The administration also said it will strengthen the background check system by addressing legal barriers that keep some mental health records out of that system. 82% of Americans think better mental health care and screening would help deter gun violence at least somewhat, including 44% who think it would help a lot. How Much Will Better Mental Health Care and Screening Reduce Gun Violence? Total Reps Dems A lot 44% 47% 48% Some 38 39 33 Not much/at all 17 13 18

Ind 39% 42 18

74% think more armed security guards would help at least some to prevent mass shootings in public places such as schools, movie theaters, and malls; more than a third thinks it would help a lot. Republicans, Democrats, and independents hold similar views on this question. How Much Will More Armed Security Reduce Mass Shootings? Total Reps Dems Ind A lot 35% 36% 34% 36% Some 39 42 38 39 Not much/at all 25 21 28 25 Americans also lay some of the blame for gun violence on popular culture, such as movies and video games. Three in four Americans say violence in popular culture contributes at least somewhat, including 39% who say it contributes a lot. How Much Does Violence in Movies and Video Games Contribute to Gun Violence? Total Reps Dems Ind A lot 39% 42% 43% 34% Some 36 41 32 36 Not much 16 12 17 19 Not at all 7 5 6 11 Overall Views on Gun Laws In general, 54% of Americans think gun control laws should be stricter than they are now, while about a third thinks they should be kept as they are, and another 9% think they should be less strict, not much different than just after the killings in Newtown, CT. Gun Control Laws Should Be 12/2012 4/2012 57% 39% 9 13 30 41

More strict Less strict Kept as they are

Now 54% 9 34

1/2011 47% 12 36

10/2002 56% 11 30

There are partisan divisions on this issue. While three in four Democrats and over half of independents want stricter gun laws, this is true of just 31% of Republicans.

Americans from households that do not own a firearm (74%) are far more likely than members of gun owning households (36%) or gun owners themselves (26%) to want stricter gun laws. Men, who are more likely to own guns than women, are less likely to support stricter gun laws (47%) than women are (61%) And while 65% of Americans who live in cities and 57% of those who live in suburbs want stricter gun laws, this is true of just 40% of those who live in small towns or rural areas. Gun Control Laws Should Be More strict Less strict Kept as they are 54% 9 34 47% 61% 31% 75% 52% 26% 36% 74% 65% 57% 40% 12 7 15 1 13 16 13 5 3 11 11 38 30 51 22 33 55 49 18 30 29 45

Total Men Women Republicans Democrats Independents Gun owners Gun owning households No guns in household Cities Suburbs Small towns & rural

53% think stricter gun laws would help deter gun violence at least somewhat, including 23% who think that would deter it a lot. Republicans are more skeptical than Democrats and independents. How Much Would Stricter Gun Laws Help to Deter Gun Violence? Total Reps Dems Ind A lot 23% 9% 36% 21% Some 30 26 34 30 Not much 17 20 14 16 Not at all 29 44 15 31 Trust to Handle Gun Laws More Americans trust President Obama (47%) than Republicans in Congress (39%) to make the right decisions on gun laws. Views break along party lines, with independents giving a slight edge to President Obama. Who Do You Trust More on Gun Laws? Total Reps Dems Inds Barack Obama 47% 11% 78% 43% Republicans in Congress 39 78 12 38

Rating Joe Biden and the NRA Joe Biden, who recently met with gun rights groups, retailers, and video game manufacturers in order to craft the Obama Administrations proposals for curbing gun violence, gets a net positive rating on the job he is doing as Vice President. Most Democrats approve of the job he is doing, while most Republicans disapprove. Joe Bidens Job Rating Total Reps Dems Inds Approve 49% 17% 79% 45% Disapprove 34 66 6 37 Dont know 17 16 16 18 The National Rifle Association retains a net favorable rating among all Americans. Views of the NRA have changed little from ten years ago. Most members of gun-owning households (54%) view the NRA favorably, while this is true of just 20% of households without a gun. Opinion of the NRA Now 10/2002 7/2002 5/1991 Favorable 38% 34% 37% 28% Not favorable 29 20 30 19 Undecided/dont know 31 31 31 52 ______________________________________________________________________
This poll was conducted by telephone from January 11-15, 2013 among 1,110 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

CBS NEWS/NEW YORK TIMES POLL Majority Support for Many Gun-Related Proposals January, 11-15, 2013 q1-14 HELD FOR SEPARATE RELEASE q15 In general, do you think gun control laws should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 54 31 75 52 9 15 1 13 34 51 22 33 3 3 2 3

More strict Less strict Kept as they are now Don't know/No answer q16-19 BLANK

Dec12a % 57 9 30 4

q20 Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as VicePresident? Approve Disapprove DK/NA 49 34 17 17 66 16 79 6 16 45 37 18 Jan10B 46 27 27

q21-43 HELD FOR SEPARATE RELEASE q44 Who do you trust more to make the right decisions about gun laws -- the Republicans in Congress or Barack Obama? Republicans in Congress Barack Obama Both (Vol.) Neither (Vol.) Don't know/No answer 39 47 3 7 5 78 11 2 4 5 12 78 4 3 3 38 43 3 11 5

q45-54 HELD FOR SEPARATE RELEASE q55 Is your opinion of the National Rifle Association favorable, not favorable, undecided, or haven't you heard enough about the National Rifle Association yet to have an opinion? Favorable Not favorable Undecided Not heard enough Don't know/No answer 38 29 14 17 2 58 10 19 10 2 17 48 12 22 1 42 26 12 16 3 Oct02f 34 20 15 26 6

q56 Do you favor or oppose a nationwide ban on semi-automatic weapons - including some rifles, pistols, and shotguns - that have detachable magazines, allowing them to rapidly fire a high number of rounds? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 53 36 70 49 44 60 28 47 4 5 2 4

Favor ban Oppose ban Don't know/Refused

q57 As you may know, high-capacity magazines or clips can hold many rounds of ammunition, so a shooter can fire more rounds without manually reloading. Would you favor or oppose a nationwide ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines that hold many rounds of ammunition? Jan11c % 63 34 3

Favor ban Oppose ban DK/NA

63 34 3

49 47 4

80 18 2

57 40 3

q58 Do you favor or oppose a federal law requiring a nationwide ban on people other than law enforcement officers carrying concealed weapons? Favor ban Oppose ban Don't know/No answer 32 65 3 15 83 1 47 49 4 31 65 4

q59 Do you favor or oppose a federal law requiring background checks on all potential gun buyers? Favor Oppose DK/NA 92 7 1 89 10 1 93 6 1 93 5 2

q60 Do you favor or oppose creating a national database that would track all gun sales in the United States? Favor Oppose DK/NA 78 20 2 63 35 2 91 7 2 77 20 3

q61 How much do you think stricter gun laws would do to help prevent gun violence? Would stricter laws help a lot, some, not much, or not at all? A lot Some Not much Not at all DK/NA 23 30 17 29 1 9 26 20 44 0 36 34 14 15 1 21 30 16 31 2

q62 How much do you think better mental health screening and treatment would do to help prevent gun violence? Would better mental health screening and treatment help a lot, some, not much, or not at all? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 44 47 48 39 38 39 33 42 10 8 12 10 7 5 6 8 1 1 1 1

A lot Some Not much Not at all DK/NA

q63 How much do you think more police or armed security guards would do to help prevent mass shootings in public places such as schools, movie theaters, and malls? Would more police or armed security guards help a lot, some, not much or not at all? A lot Some Not much Not at all DK/NA 35 39 17 8 1 36 42 15 6 1 34 38 17 11 0 36 39 17 8 1

q64 In general, how much do you think the depiction of violence in popular culture, such as movies and video games, contributes to gun violence in the U.S.? Would you say it contributes a lot, some, not much, or not at all? A lot Some Not much Not at all DK/NA 39 36 16 7 1 42 41 12 5 0 43 32 17 6 2 34 36 19 11 1

q65-q74 HELD FOR SEPARATE RELEASE q78 Do you or does any other member of your household own a handgun, rifle, shot-gun, or any other kind of firearm? IF YES, ASK: Is that person you or someone else? Yes, self Yes, other member of house Yes, self and other No Don't know/No answer 21 17 9 49 3 29 19 15 34 4 16 13 5 65 1 21 18 9 46 5

q79 What is the main reason there is a gun in your household? Is it mainly for protection, hunting, target or sport shooting, work, or for some other reason? ** HAVE GUN IN HOUSEHOLD ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 36 37 36 36 34 36 39 30 14 10 11 19 5 3 6 5 3 3 4 3 3 4 0 3 2 4 2 2 2 3 1 2

Protection Hunting Target/sport shooting Work Inherited Everything Other DK/NA q80 HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE

q81 What do you think is the main reason MOST gun owners possess a gun? Is it mainly for protection, hunting, target or sport shooting, work, or for some other reason? Protection Hunting Target/sport shooting Work Everything Other DK/NA ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** 43 38 46 43 32 38 27 34 10 15 8 9 1 0 2 1 1 1 2 1 5 4 8 5 6 4 7 7

Total Respondents Total Republicans Total Democrats Total Independents

UNWEIGHTED 1,110 313 363 434

WEIGHTED 288 373 449