The best antidote to hot takes about the popularity of gun safety measures is hard data, and the August Daily Kos/Civiqs poll is here with your cure. This month’s survey of 1,687 registered voters was conducted online from Aug. 10-12 and reveals that public opinion is overwhelmingly behind the basic reforms opposed by GOP lawmakers and the gun lobby.
Specifically, a whopping 86% of Americans think that background checks should be required for all gun sales.
Noteworthy crosstabs within that number include:
- 77% of Republicans are on the same page as 96% of Democrats in supporting universal background checks.
- While support is high among all age groups, support for requiring background checks for all firearm purchases is highest among 18-34 year olds (88%).
- Even 81% of frequent Fox News viewers are on board with this basic gun safety measure.
Additionally, this month’s poll found that a majority of Americans believe white nationalism is either a very serious (46%) or somewhat serious (11%) threat, and most also support a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons (51%) and believe that individuals convicted of a hate crime should be prohibited from buying or owning a firearm (81%).
Other issues surveyed include attitudes regarding ending the filibuster in the U.S. Senate, D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood, and Fox News and MSNBC viewership.
This month’s survey also reinforces the fact that frequent Fox News viewers are deeply disconnected from mainstream Americans on key issues. While 57% of Americans believe white nationalism is a very or somewhat serious threat, only 17% of Fox aficionados believe this to be the case. And while just 35% of Americans believe Trump opposes white nationalism, an astounding 73% of frequent Fox watchers think he does.
Civiqs is a survey research firm that conducts scientific public opinion polls on the internet through its nationally representative online survey panel. Results of Civiqs’ daily tracking polls can be found online at Civiqs.com.