36th Annual Student Research Conference
The Affect of Race on Attitudes Toward Capital Punishment
Daniel J. Falcon
Dr. Margaret Edwards, Faculty Mentor
Public opinion polls show that support for the death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is a divisive issue in American politics. There are many factors that lead to support and opposition to this practice, and some state governments have outlawed capital punishment while others continue to use it. What demographic sectors of the US population support this practice? Which demographic groups are opposed? For my research, I used the 2020 American National Election Studies survey data to perform logistic regression and compare support levels among different demographic groups. I highlight the importance of race in explaining public opinion on this topic by examining White (non-Hispanic), Black (non-Hispanic), and Hispanic respondents. I also control for other demographics, including region of residence, political affiliation, whether an individual is Catholic or Protestant, and sex. Prior research shows an inequality in application of capital punishment among different demographic groups.
Keywords: Capital Punishment, Death Penalty , Public Opinion
Topic(s):Political Science
Justice Systems
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 309-5
Location: MG 1098
Time: 2:15