Mass Killings: Do They Change Voter Behavior?

• In Event: The Politics of Fear and Violence

Abstract

The research which follows is not an exposé on the need for more or less gun control, rather it is an examination of if/how the presence of mass shootings change the voting behavior of Americans most closely effected by such an event. In the current era of politics, it is well known that the Democratic Party supports tighter gun restrictions, as a part of its platform. On the other hand, the Republican Party support looser restrictions in order to get more guns in the hands of “good guys”. Therefore, conventional wisdom would suggest that if individuals, who are affected by a mass shooting, are mobilized to vote they would be more likely to support Democratic candidates. Using data on all the mass killings since 1982, this research will explore House District election results to determine if mass shootings mobilize citizens to turnout and cast ballots for Democrats.

Author

• Michael J. Pomante, Jacksonville University