The purpose of this section is to introduce some of the participants in the policy-making arena, and describe how they interact in the process of creating solutions to identified policy problems. This is done in two ways. First, a short case study is presented on a recent ballot proposal in Washington. Second, many of the most prominent advocacy groups, mentioned to varying degrees thus far in this project, are listed.


WASHINGTON STATE INITIATIVE 676

This ballot measure, which would have, among other things, required all handguns sold to have a trigger-locking device and required a handgun safety license to acquire or possess a handgun, was defeated in November 1997 by a margin of 71 to 29 percent. The major players in the gun policy arena made their presence felt during the months leading up to Election Day. The NRA called the defeat of 676 "the greatest Second Amendment ballot victory in 15 years." (Crime Prevention News, 1997b) Handgun Control, Inc., had hoped passage would pave the way for a national licensing law.

• Full text of the Initiative


• Information about Initiative 676

• Handgun Safety Initiative home page


• Washington Ceasefire


• Statement by Sarah Brady, leader of Handgun Control, Inc.

• Washington Citizens Against Regulatory Excess


• An interesting piece of propaganda depicting an lovely little elderly man behind bars because he didn't have a handgun safety license


• National Rifle Association

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms--Firearms programs


• New York Police Department


• Federal Bureau of Investigation


• Baltimore Police Department


• Links to public agencies

• Handgun Control Inc.


• Violence Policy Center


• Cease Fire: A Comprehensive Strategy to Reduce Firearms Violence


• Violence Prevention Research Project


• GunInfo


• Pacific Center for Violence Prevention


• Coalition to Stop Gun Violence


• Ceasefire


• Hangun Epidemic Lowering Plan


• Physicians for Social Responsibility


• American Firearms Association


• Contra Costa (CA) Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence


• Georgians Against Gun Violence


• Orange County (CA) Citizens for the Prevention of Gun Violence


• New Yorkers Against Gun Violence


• Texans Against Gun Violence


• Utahns Against Gun Violence


• Washington Ceasefire


• Californians for Responsible Gun Laws


• Gunfree Home


• Trauma Foundation

• National Rifle Association


• Women Against Gun Control


• Shooters


• The Freedom Page


• GunHoo


• PAC-H.E.A.T./ARGO


• Gun Owners of America


• Gun Owners' Action League


• Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership


• Firefighters for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms


• Miami Valley (OH) Association for Responsible Legislation


• National Firearms Association


• New York State Rifle & Pistol Association


• Ohio Gun Collectors Association


• Paul Revere Network


• Peaceable Texans for Firearms Rights


• Rocky Mountain Gun Owners


• Tennessee Firearms Association


• Western Missouri Shooters Alliance


• The Heartland Institute

• Californians for Responsible Gun Laws links


• Stop Gun Violence links


• Yahoo links


• Robert J. Spitzer, The Politics of Gun Control (Chatham, NJ: Chatham House Publishers, 1995).


• Lee Nisbet, ed., The Gun Control Debate: You Decide (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1990).

• Introduction to the topic


• The emergence of the problem


• The assessment of the problem


• Decision-making and policy formulation


• Policy Implementation


• Policy Evaluation


• References