Gallup Poll:Plurality of Americans Say DP Not Imposed Frequently Enough

The state of Texas will reach a milestone this week if, according to schedule, it executes its 300th death row inmate since Texas resumed capital punishment in 1982. That milestone has renewed the debate on capital punishment, as opponents point to the accelerated pace of executions in Texas while other states, such as Maryland, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, have or are considering moratoriums on executions in their states. Recent Gallup Polls show that seven in 10 Americans support the death penalty at a basic level, and if anything, tend to believe that it is not imposed often enough. Additionally, slim majorities of Americans believe the death penalty is applied fairly in this country, and favor it even when it is made clear that the alternative sentence would be life in prison with no possibility of parole.

According to the Associated Press, since 1976 (when the Supreme Court allowed states to resume capital punishment), more than one-third of all executions in the United States have taken place in Texas. Last year alone, 33 inmates were executed, and nine have been executed this year. While Gallup has never asked specifically about the death penalty in Texas, the American public in general not only supports the use of the death penalty, but also says that it is not imposed often enough in this country. A May 2002 poll showed 47% saying the death penalty is not imposed enough, more than double the percentage who say it is imposed too often (22%). About one in four Americans, 24%, say it is imposed "about the right amount" of times.

The most recent data show a slight shift in opinion compared with a May 2001 poll, at which time a smaller plurality said the death penalty was not imposed enough (38%), with a higher percentage saying it was imposed about the right amount of times (34%), and a similar number saying it was imposed too often (21%).