To ensure the security of a free state through a well-regulated militia and to protect the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

It is the reason for the right to bear arms, according to one interpretation.

This is debated; some say it refers to individual rights, others to collective rights within a militia.

The Second Amendment was designed to empower states to maintain their own militias for self-protection.

It was intended as a check by allowing states to maintain independent militias, preventing federal tyranny.

Balancing individual rights to bear arms with the need for public safety and gun control.

To guarantee the right to bear arms.

It is one of the first ten amendments, designed to protect fundamental rights against government intrusion.

It is argued to protect individual liberty by allowing citizens to defend themselves and resist potential government oppression.

It indicates that the right to bear arms should not be unduly restricted, though the extent of permissible restrictions is debated.

Cause: Increased mass shootings | Effect: Intensified debates over gun control measures.

Cause: Heller ruling | Effect: Strengthened arguments for individual gun rights.

Cause: McDonald ruling | Effect: Challenges to state and local gun control laws.

Cause: NRA advocacy | Effect: Resistance to stricter gun control policies.

Cause: March for Our Lives advocacy | Effect: Increased public attention on gun violence and calls for reform.

Cause: Strict gun control laws | Effect: Debated impact on crime rates; some studies show a decrease, others show no significant effect.

Cause: Second Amendment | Effect: Originally intended to allow states to maintain their own militias.

Cause: Increased gun ownership | Effect: Potential increase in accidental shootings, depending on safety measures and training.

Cause: Supreme Court rulings | Effect: Can lead to legislative efforts to either restrict or expand gun rights.

Cause: Political polarization | Effect: Makes it difficult to pass comprehensive gun control legislation at the federal level.

A body of citizens trained for military service, typically to supplement a standing army.

The right of individuals to possess weapons for self-defense and other lawful purposes.

Interpreting the Constitution based on what the framers intended at the time of its creation.

The view that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own guns for personal protection.

The view that the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms only in the context of a well-regulated militia.

The process by which the Supreme Court applies the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Laws and regulations that restrict the manufacture, sale, possession, or use of firearms.

Guarantees the right to bear arms.

The right to protect oneself from harm or death through the use of reasonable force, including the use of firearms.

Addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law; used to apply the Bill of Rights to the states.