Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty for Those Convicted of Murder
While 68% see the death penalty as morally justified for those committing murder, 59% say it doesn’t deter serious crimes – and there are wide partisan gaps on both questions.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Biden granted more acts of clemency than any prior president
Former President Joe Biden granted 4,245 acts of clemency during his four-year tenure in the White House, more than any previous president on record.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Support for death penalty lowest in more than four decades
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.
