Capital Punishment Support

With a hat tip to a recent post from the Crime & Consequences Blog, American support for capital punishment, as measured by the last full report of the Gallup Poll in November 2008, has remained fairly consistent since the 1930’s, with one blip in the 1960’s when support dipped below opposition.

This long term support is a testament to the understanding of the American people, whose values are still largely built upon a Judeo-Christian foundation, regarding the nature of unrepentant evil and the proper response to it.

An excerpt.

“PRINCETON, NJ -- Last week's recommendation by a Maryland commission that the state's death penalty law be repealed contrasts with broad U.S. public support for the punishment. According to Gallup's annual Crime survey in October, 64% favor of Americans favor the death penalty for someone convicted of murder, while just 30% oppose it.”

“In addition to the majority of Americans who support the death penalty, nearly half (48%) believe it is not imposed often enough. Only 21% of Americans say it is imposed too often, with a nearly equal number, 23%, saying it is imposed about the right amount of time.

“The death penalty is favored by most Republicans nationwide, but it also receives the general support of a solid majority of independents and more than half of Democrats.

“In its preliminary report -- the final report will be issued next month -- the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment cited evidence that the death penalty does not act as a deterrent to crime, and that it is racially biased in its application. Americans don't share the same view on at least one of these arguments. The slight majority of Americans in the Oct. 3-5, 2008, poll -- 54% -- say they believe the death penalty is applied fairly in the country today -- a rough indication that Americans don't perceive bias to be a major problem with the death penalty system.”