Interest Groups, Institutions, and Gun Control Policy: A Comparative Study of Focusing Events.

This paper discusses the importance of firearms related focusing events in two states: the United States and Canada. It is my contention that focusing events can lead to items being placed on the agenda; however, interest group activity can either impede or promote the policy outcomes. In the United States firearms related focusing events often lead to new policy being placed on the agenda when there is a Democratic government; however, due to the nature of the political system and the presence of the NRA policy rarely goes to the formulation stage. When there is a Republican government in power, focusing events do not lead to new policy alternatives being placed on the agenda..x000d.In Canada when there is a liberal government, firearms related focusing events will lead to an item being placed on the agenda. Policy makers will react quickly and decisively in creating new firearm legislation. There are two reasons for this: centralized power, and the minimization of interest group influence. When there is a conservative government, firearms related focusing events will lead to the policy being placed on the agenda, but rather than having major overhauls to the subsystem, changes will be incremental in nature. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]