Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Political Science/ Pre-law
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Brittany Wood
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
In this Paper, I will discuss how trust in our federal government influences a person's perspective on gun ownership restrictions. My research question for this topic is: How does Trust in government and political ideology affect views on gun control? It is an important question as gun policy is a heavily debated topic within our news and political circles. The data that I will be using for this comes from the American National Election Survey (ANES). The dataset that I will be using will be from the ANES (2020) dataset. What I expect to find for this research is that with a lack of trust in the federal government, the individual will be more likely to believe that fewer restrictions on gun laws are needed, as they will have more belief in a self-help theory, as they cannot trust the government to protect them. The implications of this research could help inform our politicians on steps they can take to halt the trend of falling trust in our government and restore trust in the politicians we elect within our country, and also show why certain people are gravitating towards the idea of self-protection through firearms, not for our federal government.
Fall Scholars Week 2025
Political Science and Sociology Department Panel
Included in
How Trust in the Federal Government Determines Views on Gun Restrictions
In this Paper, I will discuss how trust in our federal government influences a person's perspective on gun ownership restrictions. My research question for this topic is: How does Trust in government and political ideology affect views on gun control? It is an important question as gun policy is a heavily debated topic within our news and political circles. The data that I will be using for this comes from the American National Election Survey (ANES). The dataset that I will be using will be from the ANES (2020) dataset. What I expect to find for this research is that with a lack of trust in the federal government, the individual will be more likely to believe that fewer restrictions on gun laws are needed, as they will have more belief in a self-help theory, as they cannot trust the government to protect them. The implications of this research could help inform our politicians on steps they can take to halt the trend of falling trust in our government and restore trust in the politicians we elect within our country, and also show why certain people are gravitating towards the idea of self-protection through firearms, not for our federal government.