10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S.
Here’s a closer look at public opinion on the death penalty, as well as key facts about the nation’s use of capital punishment.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Here’s a closer look at public opinion on the death penalty, as well as key facts about the nation’s use of capital punishment.
Roughly two-thirds of atheists (65%) and six-in-ten agnostics (57%) either “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose the death penalty.
The difference in support for the death penalty by survey mode has important consequences for understanding trends on the issue.
67% of U.S. Catholics say Joe Biden should be allowed to receive Communion during Mass, while 29% say he should not be allowed to do this.
Attitudes vary considerably by race on issues including crime, policing, the death penalty, parole decisions and voting rights.
More than a third of the states that allow executions haven’t carried one out in at least 10 years or, in some cases, much longer.
Ahead of the Senate’s deliberations over Kavanaugh, here’s a look at where the public stands on some of the major legal, political and social issues that could come before the Supreme Court in the years ahead.
Just five states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Texas – accounted for all 20 executions in the U.S. in 2016.
The share of Americans who support the death penalty for persons convicted of murder is now at its lowest point in more than four decades.
Many large religious groups have taken positions in opposition to the death penalty even though that stance is sometimes at odds with the opinions of their adherents.
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