Implementation Analysis Of U.S. Federal Gun Policy

Running head: IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS OF U.S. FEDERAL GUN POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS OF U.S. FEDERAL GUN POLICY
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IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS OF U.S. FEDERAL GUN POLICY1
Introduction
In recent years, the United States has been seen to record a high number of firearm-
related deaths. According to the reports provided by "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC)," there were 39,773 deaths in 2017, a drastic increase from the reports in previous years,
which is a matter of concern (Castillo-Carniglia et al., 2018). These statistics show that there is a
need for the proper implementation of gun policies in the U.S. to reduce firearm-related crime
and violence. Gun control is a divisive issue in the United States, where a group of citizens wants
stricter gun policies. In contrast, the other group fears for their safety, as they would then be
unable to protect themselves (Webster & Wintemute, 2015). The following report presents the
indicators for the effective implementation of the policy, assesses the variation in the
implementation of the policy in different organizations, provides reasons for the possible
variations in the implementation, and lastly, gives recommendations for improvement in the
policy implementation.
Indicators of implementation effectiveness of policy
In the U.S., almost every person owns a gun, and it is seen as a fundamental right because
the constitution states that they have the right to own guns. Mass shootings in the United States
has become extremely common in the U.S. The mass shootings at Las Vegas, the Pulse nightclub
in Orlando, the movie theater in Aurora and at the Virginia Tech are only some of the few
examples of the uncontrolled and sociopathic mindset of the shooter who mindlessly indulges in
killing people (Kalesan, Weinberg & Galea, 2016). To stop this, there needs to be a proper
implementation of the U.S. federal Gun control policy. The recent statistics show that the
number of mass shootings had increased in the year 2019 than in the previous years. There were

IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS OF U.S. FEDERAL GUN POLICY2
417 mass shootings reported in the U.S., as reported by the non-profit organization "Gun
Violence Archive (GVA)" that tracks every mass shooting in the country.
A recent study showed that the states that had less strict gun laws and more gun
ownership had recorded higher rates of mass shootings and gun violence. When the statistics on
the reports of death caused by gun violence in the years 2017 to 2019 are analyzed, then it can be
seen that the rates have decreased in recent years. There were 39773 deaths reported in the year
2017, and that reduced to 1242 deaths in the year 2019 (Fleegler, 2019). This indicates the
effective implementation of gun policy. Another indicator of the effective implementation of the
gun policy is the decrease in the suicide rates in the country. A study showed that the suicide
rates had declined in the year 2017 in states where there was a provision of universal background
checks and waiting period laws (Lopez, 2018). The practical implementation of the policy is also
highlighted by the decrease in gun injury rates. There were lesser homicide rates, and that was
associated with the reliable implementation of the background checks and restrictions imposed
on the purchasing laws in the country (Castillo-Carniglia et al., 2018). Universal background
checks of the people had reported that there was nearly a drop in the homicide rates by 15 %.
To understand the effectiveness of the implementation, a study was prepared, and the
results computed to determine the effects. Scientific research can provide the most reliable proof
of the research analysis. After reviewing the effectiveness of the policies on the organization, the
effects on the outcomes were reviewed. Evidence showed that the background checks might have
a hand in decreasing the suicide rates and that the concealed-carry laws can increase violent
crime (Butchart & Mikton, 2014). The four outcomes included defensive gun use, hunting and
recreation, officer-involved shootings, and mass shootings. The effect of the policy after its
implementation saw that there was a considerable decrease in the intentional self-injuries and

IMPLEMENTATION ANALYSIS OF U.S. FEDERAL GUN POLICY3
deaths; however, the effect on defensive gun use did not provide any conclusive evidence.
Indicators of effective gun control policy are simply not restricted to the decrease in the rate of
mass shootings and suicide rates; nonetheless, they are the most important ones. Other indicators
were when people with a history of a violent misdemeanor were prevented from carrying any
guns that decreased the rates in crime. In another instance, if a person bought a gun to sell it to
other people, that was seen as a reason for the increase in crime rates. Disallowing such people
from purchasing guns reduced crime rates as well. America is a country that has the most relaxed
gun control rules when compared to other countries, and that is another reason that people have
easy access to it, and that threatens the lives of other people. Research done in 2016 showed that
when new regulations were applied to owning and purchasing guns, that was followed by a
decrease in gun violence in the country (Resnick et al. 2017). This is a reliable indicator, which
gives hope that restricting access to weapons like guns can be a boon for saving the lives of
millions and millions of people.
Variation in the implementation of different organizations
There are variations in the implementation of the U.S. Federal Gun Policy in the country
across various organizations, fields, and frontlines. In the wake of an increase in gun violence
and mass shootings, various organisations in the country needed to take a stand on the policy.
Many American businesses were seen to take a stand on gun control. For instance, America's
largest sporting goods suppliers, Dick's, had announced that it would increase the minimum age
to 21 for whoever buys guns and ammunition. They also announced that they would no longer
sell military-style weapons anymore (Hemenway, 2017). This stand of the company did end up
in controversy as some said that businesses should not involve themselves in political and
cultural debates. However, research showed that more than 50% of the people were more likely