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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.
Unlike other U.S. religious groups, most atheists and agnostics oppose the death penalty
Roughly two-thirds of atheists (65%) and six-in-ten agnostics (57%) either “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose the death penalty.
Death penalty draws more Americans’ support online than in telephone surveys
The difference in support for the death penalty by survey mode has important consequences for understanding trends on the issue.
Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty Despite Concerns About Its Administration
Nearly eight-in-ten U.S. adults (78%) say there is some risk an innocent person will be put to death, and 63% say the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes.
Trump used his clemency power sparingly despite a raft of late pardons and commutations
Only two other presidents since 1900 – George W. and George H.W. Bush – granted fewer acts of clemency than Trump.
U.S. Public Views on Climate and Energy
A majority of U.S. adults say they are taking at least some specific action in their daily lives to protect the environment, though Democrats and Republicans remain at ideological odds over the causes of climate change and the effects of policies to address it.
California is one of 11 states that have the death penalty but haven’t used it in more than a decade
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.
Where the public stands on key issues that could come before the Supreme Court
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.
Public support for the death penalty ticks up
Public support for the death penalty, which reached a four-decade low in 2016, has increased somewhat since then. Since 2016, opinions among Republicans and Democrats have changed little, but the share of independents favoring the death penalty has increased 8 percentage points.
U.S. ends year with fewest executions since 1991
Just five states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Texas – accounted for all 20 executions in the U.S. in 2016.
