The author sought information on how the death penalty actually works versus how it is supposed to work, the deterrent value of the death penalty and its general effectiveness as a public policy, and rational arguments for and against capital punishment. She found that arguments for and against capital punishment centered around deterrence, cost factors, public support, equitable application, the execution of innocent individuals, and emotional issues. She notes that crime victims are not united in support of the death penalty, that legal killing involves moral issues, that political exigencies should not intrude on the death penalty debate, and that the use of the death penalty damages the national character of the United States.