Article

Public Opinion on the Death Penalty

By Cornell Law School, on 1 January 2018


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Public officials in retentionist or de facto abolitionist countries often invoke public support for the death penalty as one of the reasons why they do not promote abolition. A closer look at this justification, however, reveals some common flaws. This note offers a critical assessment of public opinion polls on the death penalty and suggests tools to properly gauge the level of public support for the death penalty.

  • Document type Article
  • Themes list Public opinion, Public debate, Death Penalty,



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