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May 31, 2018
ssc

In Search Of Missing US Suicides

8 min • 1,113 words • 224 comments • podcast (10 min)
Scott Alexander explores why US suicide rates aren't higher despite high gun ownership, concluding that the US likely has a low base rate elevated by gun availability. Longer summary
Scott Alexander investigates why the US doesn't have higher suicide rates despite high gun ownership. He examines data showing guns increase suicides within the US, but the US doesn't have higher rates internationally. Scott proposes that the US may have a very low base suicide rate due to factors like religiosity and ethnic diversity, which is then elevated by gun availability. He concludes that a gun-free US might have one of the lowest suicide rates in the developed world, around 5-6 per 100,000. The post warns against simplistic 'gotcha' arguments using international comparisons without deeper analysis. Shorter summary
Jan 10, 2016
ssc

Guns and States 2: Son of a Gun

8 min • 1,020 words • 507 comments
Scott Alexander offers follow-up insights on his guns and states analysis, addressing cultural factors, rape correlations, replication issues, and the complexity of gun control debates. Longer summary
Scott Alexander provides follow-up thoughts on his previous post about guns and states. He discusses the interaction between cultural factors and gun ownership, explores correlations with rape rates, addresses replication issues, and critiques the gun control debate. He also mentions a meta-analysis by Gary Kleck that shows mixed results in guns-homicide correlation studies, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple studies rather than relying on a single one. Shorter summary
Jan 06, 2016
ssc

Guns And States

35 min • 4,850 words • 489 comments
Scott Alexander examines the relationship between gun ownership and homicide rates, finding a likely causal link but noting it's not the main factor in the US's high murder rate. Longer summary
Scott Alexander analyzes the relationship between gun ownership and homicide rates in the US, critiquing misleading statistics and conducting a more rigorous analysis. He finds that while there is likely a causal relationship between gun ownership and homicide rates, it's not the primary factor explaining the US's high murder rate compared to other developed countries. He tentatively concludes that gun control measures similar to Australia's might be beneficial, but emphasizes the need for further research. Shorter summary