(Credit: Shutterstock) More and more people say they want stricter gun laws in the United States even as Republican lawmakers insist on preserving the status quo. A new poll from Quinnipiac University found that 66 percent of people say they want stricter gun laws, while only 31 percent say they don’t. This is the highest level of support the poll has ever found on this question, but even these numbers understate the true extent of public support. Ninety-seven percent of people say they want universal background checks for gun purchases, the poll found.