Shooting for freedom: what guns teach us about US political culture

The right to bear arms is a fundamental tenet of freedom for many Americans. But it is often met with incomprehension in the UK and Europe. Dylan McLean unpicks the origins of America’s gun culture, tracing it back to the militia in Tudor society, and explains how firearms are associated with personal freedom and the power of an individual to resist the elite. In turn, aspects of US politics – for example, the lack of a successful social democratic party – mark out the country’s individualistic culture.