Americans Still Favor the Death Penalty – With Reservations

Two-thirds of Americans now say they support the death penalty for those convicted of murder, while one-third are opposed, according to a comprehensive new Pew Research Center survey.

The death penalty, which was in effect at the nation’s founding, has consistently been backed by Americans. In the early 1930s, when Gallup first surveyed the question, just over 60% of the public believed capital punishment was the appropriate punishment for murder. Except for a brief period in the 1960s, this trend has held.

During the 21st century, nearly every major public policy question has become polarized along partisan lines. This is certainly true of the criminal justice system. Of the 23 states that have abolished capital punishment, only Alaska, Iowa, North Dakota, and West Virginia are controlled by the GOP. The Pew survey found that grassroots Republicans favor capital punishment overwhelmingly, with only 15% opposed and 84% voicing support. Democrats favor it, too, but only narrowly (51% to 48%).

Five years ago, when support for capital punishment dipped to 60%, death penalty opponents believed the long-term trends were on their side. That doesn’t seem to be the case, at least for now. Even among voters under 30, capital punishment is favored strongly (59%-41%). The only major demographic group not in favor is African Americans, who are evenly split.

Yet Pew data reveals some interesting ambiguities. In the historic debate on this difficult issue, several core arguments in opposition persist: The first is often referred to in shorthand as “the moral issue.” The Roman Catholic Church, among other entities, simply maintains that state-sanctioned killing is wrong. As a corollary point, opponents insist that there is little evidence that capital punishment is an effective deterrent. The other main objection is that innocent defendants are sometimes convicted, even in capital cases, and that when the government executes an innocent person, an intolerable injustice is being committed.

The Pew poll shows that Americans – even those who support the death penalty – do weigh these factors:

• Nearly three-fourths of those polled concede that there is an inherent risk that innocent people can be put to death. (One-quarter believe instead that adequate safeguards are in place in the trial system and appeals process to preclude this from happening.)

• While 68% of those polled view the death penalty as a “morally justified” state response to those convicted of murder, only 39% believe it’s a deterrent.

• Asked whether black defendants are more likely than whites to be sentenced to death – another frequent argument in opposition to capital punishment – Americans are split nearly evenly.