Americans' dissatisfaction with gun laws in the country has risen to 63%, according to a new poll.
That number is the highest in Gallup's 23-year trend, and an increase of seven points over the past year.
At the same time, satisfaction with gun policy has fallen by the same amount to 34%, tying the lowest reading on record.
"Since 2013, majorities of U.S. adults have been dissatisfied, as mass shootings have continued in the U.S.," the poll noted, adding that "Americans today are as dissatisfied with the nation's gun laws as they have been in the past 23 years."
According to the poll, an 84% majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners are very (59%) or somewhat (25%) dissatisfied with U.S. gun laws. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 24% are very dissatisfied and 20% are somewhat dissatisfied.
On the other hand, a majority of rank-and-file Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are very (17%) or somewhat (37%) satisfied with gun laws. Among Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents, 3% are very satisfied and another 11% are somewhat satisfied, the poll shows.
"Since 2001, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents have been much more satisfied than Democrats and Democratic leaners with the nation’s gun policies," Gallup said. "That gulf persists today, as 54% of Republicans and a record-low 14% of Democrats are satisfied. Republicans’ satisfaction has edged down five points over the past year, while Democrats’ has fallen nine points."
The latest increase in dissatisfaction comes after a year marked by the second-highest number of mass shootings in recent U.S. history, including two in May -- in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
"These two massacres were the impetus behind the passage of the first significant federal gun legislation in nearly three decades. The law is aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of people who are a threat to public safety and provides funding for mental health services, school security and crisis intervention programs," Gallup said.
While the bill passed with unanimous Democratic support in both houses of Congress, most congressional Republicans opposed the bill on the grounds that it would restrict Second Amendment rights. President Joe Biden and many congressional Democrats also said it didn't go far enough in restricting guns.
A majority of Americans continue to support stricter laws covering the sale of firearms, but the poll predicts no action on a federal level.
"Biden spoke about the need to pass further restrictions on gun ownership, including an assault weapons ban, in his State of the Union address earlier this month. Yet, the possibility of passing such a law in the near future seems remote," Gallup said. "For now, any changes to gun laws are more likely to come from individual states, as they did in 2022."
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