U.S. Doesn't Need Tighter Gun Control Laws, Say Voters

Cracking down on gun control? Not so fast, say American voters.

A new Rasmussen Reports poll released Tuesday found more than half (51 percent) of likely U.S. voters don't believe the country needs tighter gun control laws. A smaller amount (42 percent) say the U.S. needs stricter gun control laws.

A higher percentage of survey respondents -- 61 percent -- say the government needs a stricter enforcement of existing gun control laws while 28 percent disagree.

Americans seem somewhat more divided on whether stricter gun control laws will decrease violent crime. Forty percent say stricter gun control laws would decrease violent crime while 34 percent say it wouldn't have an effect on violent crime at all. Only 18 percent believe stricter gun control laws would increase violent crime.

The survey of 1,000 likely U.S. voters was conducted March 2-3 by Rasmussen Reports.