NSSF/Harris Survey: Support Grows for Applying 2nd Amendment to States

With the U.S. Supreme Court set to issue its decision in McDonald v. City of Chicago in a few months, a new NSSF poll conducted by Harris Interactive finds 8 in 10 Americans agree with this statement: "State and local governments are bound by law to comply with the Second Amendment."

The 80 percent who indicated their support in the March 15 online survey of general population adults 18 and over is an increase from the 77 percent who did so in an NSSF/Harris Interactive poll last September, prior to the Supreme Court hearing the case.

At issue in McDonald is whether the Second Amendment will be applied to cities and states through the 14th Amendment, thereby making the individual right to keep and bear arms national in scope. The 2008 Heller decision guaranteed that right in areas regulated by the federal government only, such as the District of Columbia.