Does Gun Carry in Public Places have Chilling Effects?

<p dir="ltr">This Policy Spotlight seeks to explain the origins of a new wave of challenges to gun violence prevention laws, outline scholarly opinion on the constitutionality of such laws, and use survey data from national studies to provide rigorous evidence that the presence of firearms in public places has the potential to produce significant chilling effects, defined as increased apprehension about the safety of visiting various places or engaging in important activities when it is suggested to the respondent that guns may be present. The findings support the notion that people may be less likely to use public transit, visit parks, attend protests, and vote in person if guns are present in these locales.</p>