Half of all Americans support President Barack Obama's executive actions on gun control, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Tuesday, with a majority saying they would support the next president taking additional steps to tighten federal gun laws.

Obama, frustrated with inaction from lawmakers, ordered stricter gun rules last week that he can impose without Congress' help, angering Republicans who say he is overstepping the boundaries of his office.

Fifty percent of those surveyed said they supported Obama's executive actions. More than 80 percent of those from his own party said they were in favor of his steps, while 72 percent of Republicans opposed them and said his successor should try to dismantle them.

Guns have become a potent, polarizing issue in U.S. politics. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, a right that is fiercely defended. Congress has not approved major gun-control legislation since the 1990s.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-guns-idUSKCN0UQ2O220160113