60% of Americans Support Death Penalty
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Pew Research Reports Most Americans are Pro-Death Penalty
Although 60% of Americans support the death Penalty, that percentage has decreased when compared to February 2011
Is capital punishment a capital crime? Americans are beginning to rethink their stand on the death penalty.
Troy Davis was executed by the state of Georgia in September 2011. He garnered much press and support: most people who protested against his execution claimed there was too much doubt about the evidence prosecutors used to convict him. Davis maintained his innocence until his death.
A majority of Americans still support the death penalty, but that support is waning. In an Economist/YouGov poll conducted after Davis’ execution Americans continue to support the death penalty for murder and rape even if many of those people believe innocent people have been executed and that the death penalty may not deter crime.
A full 60% support the death penalty for murder and rape, and 22% oppose it. In February, shortly after the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of six others in Tucson, Arizona, even more respondents favored the death penalty.
Three in four Republicans and nearly half of all Democrats support the death penalty: 62% of all White respondents indicated they approved the death penalty. Among African-Americans, 48% of respondents agreed that execution is a just penalty for some crimes . Men favor the death penalty somewhat more than women
Many of the respondents are concerned, believing the legal system is flawed and makes mistakes: 51% of those participating in the survey believe innocent people were executed in the last five years. Only 12% disagree.
Of those who participated in the survey, nearly half feel the capital punishment does not deter crime. Those who support the death penalty are somewhat more positive about its impact on crime, although 42% of them believe innocent people have been executed in the past five years: a third do not think the execution is a good deterrent for crime.
One strong difference between death penalty supporters and opponents centers on the question as to whether the penalty is applied fairly. Nearly seven in 10 of those who oppose the death penalty say more people of color than to whites are executed, even when the crime and context are similar. Predictably, most of those who support the death penalty disagree.
Overall, the public is divided on whether minorities are more likely to be executed. Last February, just 29% of respondents said minorities were more likely to receive the capital punishment.
Mad Mike’s America thanks YouGov Staff
Will less people support the death penalty in the future?
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Where in the hell do they find these people for these polling outfits? I could go just into my immediate family and get way different results, even with the republican members of it. Not a one is for the death penalty, for any reason whatsoever and this includes little miss sunshine anarchist right here. Troubles me that there are this many people here in the USA intent on vengeance and are willing to be right up there with Iran, Saudi Arabia and China in being ok with state sponsored murder.
The death penalty is a barbaric practice that diminishes us in the eyes of the world. I don’t debate that some certainly don’t deserve to live, but as punishment it is neither a deterrent nor a solution to crime. We need to lock up the capital criminals for the rest of their natural lives. No chance of parole-ever. Excellent read!
You are absolutely right. Life imprisonment is far more punitive than the death penalty. Imagine spending your entire life behind bars and know that you will die in jail anyway. That fact needs to be brought home to pro-death penalty supporters.
I am extremely disturbed that 60% of Americans support execution. Barbaric is certainly the right word to describe this injustice.