The Tipping Point for Gun Control?
In lecture we discussed tipping points in the context of network dynamics and product sales. In a nut shell, there are certain critical but unstable percentages of a population that can purchase a product. These percentages are unstable tipping points because reaching one generally results in a large increase in user percentage, while falling short results in a loss of users.
Unsurprisingly, tipping points do not just relate to the fraction of people using a product. The article below specifically discusses gun control measures. It was written just over a year ago, when presidential primary campaigns were beginning to gain momentum. Throughout the article, the author attempts to make the case that we as a society have finally reached the tipping point for passing stricter gun control measures. As he mentions, presidential candidates were arguing over who was viewed more negatively by the NRA. Over 93% of people polled favored stricter gun laws, including 90% of republicans and 70% of NRA members. Additionally, state ballots were beginning to include gun control measures in elections.
All of these points are taken as evidence by the author that we were about to reach a major milestone for gun legislation. However, it seems as if he was incorrect. As mentioned above, the article was written roughly one year ago, and I do not believe many people would argue that drastic change has since occurred. Perhaps the inherent instability of tipping points is related to the difficulty in predicting them.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/opinions/gross-gun-control-tipping-point/