Discuss the death penalty, including how prevalent it is in the world, whether U.S. citizens tend to favor or oppose it, its value as a deterrent to violent crime, and any other issues regarding its use

Question

Please provide the best answer for the statement.

Answer 1

1. Fewer than half of the countries in the world have the death penalty. The United States is the only industrialized western country that has it. The European Union will not accept countries that have the death penalty.
2. Adults in the United States favor the death penalty by about two to one, arguing that it is a deterrent. However, research indicates that the death penalty does not deter crimes associated with it.
3. The U.S. application of capital punishment is applied unjustly, with blacks more likely to get it than whites, and with the penalty depending on the state. It is irreversible, and innocent people are sometimes executed.
4. There is no significant correlation between instituting or dropping the death penalty and a change in crimes. In the two states with the highest number of executions, the murder rates are actually higher.