More than 60% of Americans say having a gun in the home makes them safer, according to a new Gallup report. That number represents a two-fold increase from 2000, when only 30% of Americans said they felt a gun improved safety.
The responses to the poll diverged greatly along political and geographical lines. Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to say guns made them safer. Nearly 70% of people in the South say that guns make their homes safer, compared with just under 60% in the West and East.
While a majority of people may believe in keeping a gun for safety reasons, only 42% actually do. That figure has been fairly consistent over the last decade.
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Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com