by John R. Lott Jr.

About the author: John R. Lott Jr. is a professor at the University of Chicago Law School. He is the author of More Guns, Less Crime.

Editor’s Note: The author wishes to note that the statistics in this article are now dated.

For the Democratic Party, whose 1996 convention showcased gun-control advocates, the solution to violent crime is clear—more regulation of guns. Convention speeches by James and Sarah Brady were filled with moving stories of their personal suffering.

While the impacts described on both sides of the issue do exist, the crucial question underlying all gun-control laws is: What is their net effect? Are more lives lost or saved? Do they deter crime or encourage it? Anecdotal evidence obviously cannot resolve this debate. To provide a more systematic...