John R. Lott Jr., interviewed by Jacob Sullum and Michael W. Lynch

About the author: John R. Lott Jr. is a senior researcher at Yale University Law School and the author of More Guns, Less Crime. The following viewpoint is adapted from an interview that Lott gave to the editors ofReason magazine.

Studies show that allowing law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms reduces crime. Although the statistical methods used to prove this correlation are complex, the most likely explanation for why concealed-carry laws reduce crime is simple: Criminals are less likely to attack individuals who may be armed. In addition, "shall-issue" or " right-to-carry" laws, which require states to issue gun permits to everyone who meets certain criteria, are more effective in reducing crime than "may-issue" or "restrictive" laws, which give states more power to deny concealed-carry permits. Guns are...