Obama unveils sweeping gun-control push amid differences (3)

A DIVIDED PUBLIC

Although the majority of Americans do support tougher measures to counter gun violence following the Newtown tragedy, Americans are divided over how much priority the Obama administration and Congress should give to address the gun issues.

The latest The Washington Post-ABC poll showed that 52 percent of Americans say the Newtown mass shooting has made them more supportive of gun control. Now 58 percent of Americans support renewing the assault weapons ban, while 71 percent and 65 percent of the respondents support a federal database to track gun sales and a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, respectively.

Of those Americans who own at least one gun at home, 45 percent support the assault weapons ban. Moreover, 86 percent of households with firearms support background checks at gun shows and 55 percent support a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

However, the poll showed a sharp divide over how much emphasis the Obama administration and Congress should place on addressing gun issues. Sixty-eight percent of the public, both Democrats and Republicans, see the economy as the clear top priority for federal action. About a third of all Americans -- 53 percent of Democrats and only 19 percent of Republicans -- believe that enacting stricter gun control laws should be a high priority.

The general public is even divided on which of the two proposals would do more to reduce gun violence in schools: 41 percent of Americans favor putting armed guards in schools, as proposed by the NRA, and 43 percent back the White House's call for tougher gun control laws.

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