Second Amendment: Right to Bear Arms

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Big Questions

Why did the Founding generation enshrine the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights?

What was the Founding-era vision of the Second Amendment, and how did America’s “Second Founding”—and the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment after the Civil War—shape the Second Amendment’s meaning?

How has the Supreme Court interpreted the Second Amendment over time?

Today, when can the government limit the individual right to possess guns and other firearms—and when can’t it?

What are areas of constitutional debate over the Second Amendment today?

Recorded Classes

The Second Amendment with Clark Neily
All Ages Session

The Second Amendment
Introductory Session

Briefing Document

Download Via Google Docs

Slide Deck

Download Via Google Slides

Interactive Constitution Essays

Common Interpretation

by Nelson Lund and Adam Winkler

Not a Second Class Right: The Second Amendment Today

The Reasonable Right to Bear Arms

by Adam Winkler

More Resources

The Second Amendment

A deep dive into the Second Amendment, which states that "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

A reasoned debate about the Second Amendment

Adam Winkler of the UCLA School of Law and Nelson Lund of the George Mason University School of Law examine the history of the Second Amendment and the current debates about the extent of its protections.

What the Supreme Court’s Opinion in NYSRPA v. Bruen Means for the Second Amendment

Breaking down the opinion in the landmark case expanding the right to carry arms outside the home.

Landmark Second Amendment Case Expands Gun Rights (MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and Jeffrey Rosen)

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and National Constitution Center’s Jeffrey Rosen discuss the Court's ruling in the Bruen case.

Is There a Constitutional Right to Concealed Carry?

Previewing a key Second Amendment case of this Supreme Court term.

A Second Amendment sequel premieres next week in the U.S. Supreme Court

With the Mississippi and Texas abortion cases on the docket now, the U.S. Supreme Court’s current term will be defined by what the justices decide on abortion. But those cases should not totally eclipse others on the docket with major significance for the law and for Americans.