Over the last half-century, the National Rifle Association has become one of the most powerful and feared lobbying organizations in Congress.  Now, the 150-year old NRA faces possible extinction.  Allegations of misappropriation of funds and campaign finance violations have resulted in multiple lawsuits against the organization, and the New York State Attorney General has called for the NRA’s dissolution.  Meanwhile, several NRA board members have resigned, and membership dues are reportedly sinking.  Yet, for all its troubles, the NRA appears to be poised for major victories in its long-running war against gun control.  Bob Spitzer is a Professor Emeritus in Political Science at the State University of New York at Cortland, and the author of five books on the politics of gun control.

Photo of Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association, by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

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