Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Political Science

Date of Defense

8-22-2025

Graduate Advisor

Dr. David Kimball

Committee

Dr. David Kimball, Chairperson

Dr. Anita Manion

Dr. Richard Middleton IV

Yuguo Liao

Abstract

The issue of gun control is a hot topic in the field of American politics. It is a huge issue in the field of political science and in American public policy. In 2023, there were 18,874 firearm deaths in the United States, excluding suicides. The highest was in 2021 with the firearm related deaths at 21,068. One side argues that firearms can cause serious harm and death while the other side argues they can also reduce the rates of gun violence. There are different opinions on how to resolve the issue of mass shootings across the country. According to prior research, there is more support for gun control than there was 30 years ago. The effect extends as far as to shape the lives of millions of Americans who have experienced it, know the victims of a public shootings, or are concerned about when the next shooting will occur.

The aim of this dissertation is to answer the research question of how Illinois and Missouri have innovated policies regarding firearms. Before answering this question, it is important to cover the history of gun politics, the Second Amendment, and how Illinois and Missouri have interpreted the right to bear arms in the first chapter. The second chapter will discuss the prior research and what scholars have found on gun policies. There will be a discussion about the methodology used to support the hypotheses. Illinois and Missouri have statutes and procedures regarding firearms and how they shaped their state governments. The third chapter will discuss the main hypotheses that I believe will support this research. The fourth chapter will discuss public opinion on the gun policies between Illinois and Missouri while the concluding chapter will discuss the results.

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