How to End the Death Penalty for Good

It’s a topic the public feels strongly about. But it’s also a topic on which the public’s feelings have swung quite rapidly. Hmm.

Americans began to favor abolishing the death penalty in the 1960s, and then, abruptly, shifted back to supporting it. That continued for decades, but the trend has just reversed: In recent years, according to data from Pew, there has been a dramatic shift away from support for capital punishment. The “favor” side still has the edge, at 49 percent. But “against” is now up to 42 percent, making it entirely possible that in the next few years, the lines will cross.