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American Populism and the Death Penalty: Witnesses at an Execution

NCJ Number
152579
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1994) Pages: 289-303
Author(s)
H A Bedau
Date Published
1994
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the currently popular status of capital punishment in the United States with respect to three issues: the eagerness of surviving family members to witness the execution of the murderer of their loved one, the controversy over whether executions ought to be shown on television, and the newly authorized use of victim impact statements in the sentencing phase of capital trials.
Abstract
The analysis concludes that the death penalty is increasingly not only a popular practice but also a populist practice in the United States. As a result, elected officials rarely commute a death sentence, rarely veto new death penalty legislation, and rarely introduce legislation to reduce or abolish capital punishment. It is not yet clear whether this situation will change. Public opinion polls of the mid-1930's revealed support for capital punishment that is similar to that reported today. However, by the mid-1960's, the same polls indicated that public opinion was divided on the issue. Therefore, a reversal in public attitudes could occur in another 30 years. It can also be hoped that as people learn more about the actual practice of capital punishment, their attitudes toward it will change. Notes and 40 references (Author abstract modified)