Work

Impulse Purchases, Gun Ownership, and Homicides: Evidence from a Firearm Demand Shock

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Do firearm purchase delay laws reduce aggregate homicide levels? Using variation from a six-month countrywide gun demand shock in 2012/2013, we show that U.S. states with legislation preventing immediate handgun purchases experienced smaller increases in handgun sales. Our findings indicate that this is likely driven by comparatively lower purchases among impulsive consumers. We then demonstrate that states with purchase delays also witnessed comparatively 2% lower homicide rates during the same period. Further evidence shows that lower handgun sales coincided primarily with fewer impulsive assaults and points toward reduced acts of domestic violence.

Source: The Review of Economics and Statistics

DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01106

Authors: Christoph Koenig, David Schindler

Institutions: University of Bristol, Tilburg University

Language: English

Topic: Gun Ownership and Violence Research

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Massachusetts Institute of Technology