Lock(down), Stock and Barrel: Perceived Government Overreach, Conspiracy Beliefs, and Gun Purchasing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

• In Event: Guns, Terrorism, and Conspiracy Theories

Abstract

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with a gun purchasing surge in the United States. This trend, which has been termed “The Great Gun Buying Spree of 2020+,” is thought to have been driven primarily by societal uncertainties related to the pandemic, though little research has empirically explored specific beliefs and anxieties that may have been salient. Building on recent research linking Americans’ gun purchasing behavior to fears about the government, this study explores how (a) perceptions of governmental overreach during the pandemic and (b) acceptance of “deep state” conspiracy beliefs motivated Americans’ gun purchasing in 2020 and beyond. An analysis of original, representative survey data (N=2,000) shows that a higher proportion of guns purchased after the start of the pandemic were motivated by a desire for “protection against the government,” compared with those purchased pre-pandemic. Furthermore, both perceptions of government overreach and conspiracy beliefs independently predicted purchasing a gun after the start of the pandemic, controlling for pre-pandemic gun purchasing and a host of relevant covariates. These findings show the importance of narratives that frame guns as a “bulwark against government tyranny” to Americans’ gun behaviors, particularly when such narratives are reinforced by societal crises and government responses.

Author

• Christopher Seto, Purdue University