In 1994, 80 percent of the U.S. public supported capital punishment. In 2013, 63 percent of Americans were in favor of the death penalty. A survey of police officers found that 94 percent favored the death penalty, with 96 percent of the police giving (as the primary reason) that it removed a dangerous person from the population. Another reason given was that capital punishment serves as a powerful deterrent to murder. In 2010, 88 percent of the country's top academic criminological societies rejected the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. Do these statistics strongly support the argument that capital punishment is inappropriate in the United States today? Can you suggest an alternate explanation for these statistics?

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The Answer of In 1994, 80 percent of the U.S. public supported capital punishment. In 2013, 63 percent of Americans were in favor of the death penalty. A survey of police officers found that 94 percent favored the death penalty, with 96 percent of the police giving (as the primary reason) that it removed a dangerous person from the population. Another reason given was that capital punishment serves as a powerful deterrent to murder. In 2010, 88 percent of the country's top academic criminological societies rejected the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder. Do these statistics strongly support the argument that capital punishment is inappropriate in the United States today? Can you suggest an alternate explanation for these statistics?

In 1994, 80 Percent of the U