CRIM 490: Special Topics
CRIM 490-006: Firearms Law, Policy & Politics
(Spring 2017)
09:00 AM to 10:15 AM MW
Krug Hall 242
Section Information for Spring 2017
The goal of the course is to educate students about the issues surrounding gun ownership, gun crime, gun control and other efforts to reduce gun violence in American society. The course will explore the social consequences of gun ownership and examine the extent and effectiveness of society’s efforts to control gun violence. The course will highlight research on these issues and the implications of this research for public policy. In the process, the course will seek to give students more perspective in assessing policy positions in debates related to firearms and to make them better informed as voters and citizens. Key topics to be discussed will include: the 2nd amendment and its interpretation; patterns and trends in gun ownership and gun violence; the social costs and benefits of gun availability; federal and state gun regulations; the operations of illegal gun markets and efforts to disrupt them; efforts to suppress illegal gun use; the effectiveness of gun control and other efforts to prevent gun violence; public opinion of gun control; and political aspects of the policy-making process.
The course will also explore how law enforcement agencies use statistical data and other investigative and technical tools to respond to gun crime. We will also examine the history of firearms and the type of firearms in circulation today and how media and special interests groups influence gun control policy and laws.
This topic is approved to apply toward the following concentration(s):
- Criminal Justice (CJUS)
- Law and Society (LAWS)
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Course Information from the University Catalog
Credits: 1-3
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
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