CRIM 490: Special Topics
CRIM 490-001: Firearms Law, Policy &Politics
(Spring 2020)
03:00 PM to 04:15 PM TR
Planetary Hall 120
Section Information for Spring 2020
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. We will explore the social consequences of gun ownership and examine the extent and effectiveness of society’s efforts to control gun violence, highlighting research on these issues and the implications of this research for public policy. In the process, the course will seek to help students develop more perspective in assessing policy positions related to firearms and become better informed as practitioners, policymakers, and voters. Key topics for discussion will include: the 2nd amendment and its interpretation; patterns and trends in gun ownership and gun violence (including mass shootings); 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 and mass shootings; public opinion about gun control; and political aspects of the policymaking process.
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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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