H. Taylor Buckner, Ph.D. P.O. Box 320, South Hero, Vermont 05486-0320 (802) 372-5236
Home Page   E-Mail: taylor@buckner.cc

Appendix A - Text of Questions in the 1995 Gun-Control Survey.

Q1. In your opinion, what is the most important problem facing Canada today?

Q2. Would you say that violent crime has increased, decreased or stayed the same in Canada over the past ten years? Would you say it has (READ LIST).

Q3. What do you think should be done about reducing violent crime?

Q4. How familiar would you say you are with the present Canadian firearms laws? Would you say you are (READ LIST).

Q5. If a Canadian who has never owned a firearm wants to buy a rifle or shotgun for the first time, can they go to a store and buy it or do they have to do something first?

Q6. IF Q5 (DO SOMETHING ELSE FIRST), ASK: OTHERS TO Q7

What do they have to do? (PROBE UNTIL UNPRODUCTIVE)

Q7. What is the maximum penalty in Canada for having a handgun that is not registered with the police?

Q8. blank

Q9. How often do you discuss the subject of firearms or gun control in Canada with your friends, relatives or co-workers? Would you say (READ LIST)

Q10. If there were stricter regulations for authorized firearms owners, would you say that the violent crime rate would increase, decrease or stay the same? (CLARIFY: Do you think it would increase/decrease a great deal or somewhat?)

Q11.1 Do you agree or disagree that Gun control laws affect only law-abiding citizens as criminals will always be able to get firearms? (CLARIFY: Is that strongly or somewhat?) (READ LIST)

Q11.2 Do you agree or disagree that Stricter gun control would greatly reduce the level of violence against women in Canada? (CLARIFY: Is that strongly or somewhat?) (READ LIST)

Q11.3 Do you agree or disagree that All firearms should be registered? (CLARIFY: Is that strongly or somewhat?) (READ LIST)

Q11.4 Do you agree or disagree that possession of handguns should be forbidden to everyone except authorized individuals? (CLARIFY: Is that strongly or somewhat?) (READ LIST) Note: This question was dropped from the analysis because of ambiguity.

Q11.5 Do you agree or disagree that Canadian Citizens should have the right to own a firearm? (CLARIFY: Is that strongly or somewhat?) (READ LIST)

IF Q11.3 (AGREE STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT TO ALL FIREARMS SHOULD BE REGISTERED), ASK: OTHERS TO Q13

Q12.1 If it would cost $100 million over the next five years to set up and maintain a firearms registry, would you still (AGREE STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT) that all firearms should be registered? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q12.2 If it would cost $500 million, would you still (AGREE STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT) that all firearms should be registered? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q12.3 If you knew it would increase your taxes, would you still (AGREE STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT) that all firearms should be registered? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q12.4 If you knew the police were opposed to registration, would you still (AGREE STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT) that all firearms should be registered? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q12.5 If registration would force the police to pull constables off the streets in order to deal with the paper work involved, would you still (AGREE STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT) that all firearms should be registered? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q13 Many Canadians have police permits to possess handguns for collecting, |target shooting and self-defense purposes.

Q13.1 Do you think that Collectors handguns should be confiscated? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q13.2 Do you think that Target shooters handguns should be confiscated? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q13.3 Do you think that people who own handguns for self-defense should have their guns confiscated? (CLARIFY: Is that - (READ LIST)

Q14.1 How effective do you think stricter regulations would be in Reducing suicides? Would you say - (READ LIST)

Q14.2 How effective do you think stricter regulations would be in Reducing homicides? Would you say - (READ LIST)

Q14.3 How effective do you think stricter regulations would be in Reducing accidents? Would you say - (READ LIST)

Q15. Are there firearms of any kind in your home or garage?

IF Q15 (YES) ASK: OTHERS TO Q19

Q16.1 Are there any Shotguns?

Q16.2 Are there any Rifles?

Q16.3 Are there any Handguns?

Q16.4 What is the main reason your household has firearms? (READ LIST)

Q17. Do any of these firearms belong to you personally?

Q17.1 How many people in this household personally own firearms?

Q18. If the government's proposal to register all firearms becomes law, do you plan on registering all, some, or none of your firearms?

Q19. Within the last five years have you, yourself, or another member of your household used a gun, even if it was not fired, for self-protection or for the protection of property at home, work or elsewhere? Please do not include military service, police work or work as a security guard.

IF Q19 (YES), ASK: OTHERS TO Q24

Q20. Was this to protect against an animal or person?

Q21. How many incidents involving defensive uses of guns against persons happened to yourself or members of your household in the past five years?

Q22. Did this incident or any of these incidents happen in the past 12 months?

Q23. Was it you who used a gun defensively or did someone else in your household do this?

Q24. If you or your family were threatened with death or serious injury by an aggressor and you had access to a firearm, would you use it to defend yourself or not? Would that be definitely or probably?

Q25. Do you generally favour or oppose hunting? Is that strongly or somewhat?

Q26. Which party did you vote for in the last federal election?

Q27. When voting in a federal election, how important to you are the candidates' positions on gun control?

Q28. Would you be more inclined or less inclined to vote for a candidate who favoured registering all firearms? (CLARIFY: Would you be... (READ LIST)

Q29. Would you be more inclined or less inclined to vote for a candidate who favoured confiscating handguns from their lawful owners? (CLARIFY: Would you be... (READ LIST)

And now just a few more questions for classification purposes.

Q30. What is your age?

Q31. What is the highest level of formal education you have reached? (DO NOT READ LIST)

Q32. What is your marital status?

Q33. What is your total household income, from all sources, before taxes? Is it under $50,000 or over?

IF Q33 (UNDER $50,000), ASK:

Q34. Is that - (READ LIST)

IF Q33 (OVER $50,000), ASK

Q35. Is that - (READ LIST)

|Thank you for your time. Goodbye.

Q36. (GENDER) RECORD SEX OF RESPONDENT.

Q37. (GENDER) ENTER INTERVIEWER GENDER.

Q38. (LANG) RECORD LANGUAGE IN WHICH INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED.

| Back to Top of Questions | Back to Table of Contents |