Jun 15, 2018
American support for the death penalty jumps in 2018
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Support for the death penalty for convicted murderers has jumped to 54% after a fairly steady decline since the 1990s and dropping below 50% in 2016, according to Pew Research.
Yes, but: Support for the death penalty is still substantially lower than it was for most of the 90s and early 2000s. In 2007, there were twice as many Americans who supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder as those opposed, according to Pew.
Partisan breakdown: Support for the death penalty grew slightly among all parties, but most notably among Independents, who jumped from 44% to 52%. Only 35% of Democrats favor capital punishment, compared to 77% of Republicans.
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