Poll: Americans Support Obama Gun Control Initiatives

The majority of Americans support President Obama’s recently announced initiatives on gun control, according to a survey released Thursday, but they are skeptical of the effectiveness the changes will have.

A CNN/ORC poll shows that 67% of Americans are in favor a series of executive actions Obama proposed earlier this week, while 32% are opposed. Obama will expand background checks in an effort to reduce gun violence, while making the process more efficient. The survey coincides with a town hall CNN hosted on Thursday night, where the president engaged with Americans on either side of the issue.

Support for the president crossed party lines, with Democrats (85%), independents (65%) and Republicans (51%) in favor of the measures. Some 57% of gun owners are also in favor.

While support is strong, skepticism about the effectiveness of the president’s executive actions is high—nearly 6 in 10 said the measures will not effectively curb gun-related deaths. This is especially true among gun owners, 75% of which say they didn’t think the changes would be effective.

Read More: Obama Defends Gun Actions at Lively Town Hall

Obama’s approval rating on his handling of gun policy went up following the announcement on Tuesday. He is up 8 points since a late-December CNN/ORC poll, with 43% approval on the issue.

The survey was conducted January 5-6 with a random sample of 1,027 adults. The margin of error for the sample is plus or minus 3 percent.