Universal Background Checks, Revisited

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has flip-flopped on many of her past policy proposals in the weeks since she was anointed as the Democrats’ standard bearer. Many, but not all, and one that she continues to embrace is imposing a requirement that a background check be conducted every time a firearm transfers ownership. Under current federal law, any purchase of a firearm from a licensed dealer requires the purchaser be cleared through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, but private transfers are not subject to this requirement.

Today, I share my analysis of this idea from October 2015. My conclusions as to both the efficacy and ultimate (and ulterior) motive of this idea have not changed.