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    Crime / Law Enforcement

See also: Cities (safety) | Computers | Guns | Law and Civil Rights

Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

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Gallup Poll. Oct. 3-5, 2008. N=1,011 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Are you in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?"

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Favor Oppose Unsure
% % %
10/3-5/08 64 30 5
10/4-7/07 69 27 4
5/5-7/06 65 28 7
10/13-16/05 64 30 6
10/11-14/04 64 31 5
5/04 71 26 3
10/03 64 32 4
5/19-21/03 70 28 2
5/5-7/03 74 24 2
10/02 70 25 5
5/02 72 25 3
10/01 68 26 6
5/01 65 27 8
2/01 67 25 8
9/00 67 28 5
6/00 66 26 8
2/00 66 28 6
2/99 71 22 7
5/95 77 13 10
9/94 80 16 4
6/91 76 18 6

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"In your opinion, is the death penalty imposed too often, about the right amount, or not often enough?" Options rotated

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  Too Often About Right Not Enough Unsure
% % % %
10/3-5/08 21 23 48 8
10/4-7/07 21 26 49 4
5/8-11/06 21 25 51 3
5/2-5/05 20 24 53 3
5/04 23 25 48 4
5/03 23 26 48 3
5/02 22 24 47 7
5/01 21 34 38 7

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"Generally speaking, do you believe the death penalty is applied fairly or unfairly in this country today?"

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  Fairly Unfairly Unsure
% % %
10/3-5/08 54 38 8
10/4-7/07 57 38 5
5/8-11/06 60 35 4
5/2-5/05 61 35 4
5/04 55 39 6
5/03 60 37 3
5/02 53 40 7
6/00 51 41 8

 

Quinnipiac University Poll. July 8-13, 2008. N=1,783 registered voters nationwide.

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"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?" Split sample A

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Favor Oppose Unsure
% % %
7/8-13/08 63 29 8
12/7-12/04 62 29 9

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"The Supreme Court has recently ruled that a mandatory death penalty for child rape is unconstitutional. Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of child rape?" Split sample A

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Favor Oppose Unsure
% % %
7/8-13/08 55 38 7

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"Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder: the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole?" Split sample B

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Death
Penalty		 Life in
Prison		 Unsure
% % %
7/8-13/08 47 44 9
12/7-12/04 42 46 12

 

The Harris Poll. Feb. 5-11, 2008. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Do you believe in capital punishment -- that is, the death penalty -- or are you opposed to it?"

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Believe In It Opposed Unsure
% % %
2/5-11/08 63 30 7
12/10-16/03 69 22 9
7/01 67 26 7
2000 64 25 11
1999 71 21 8
1997 75 22 3
1983 68 27 5
1976 67 25 8
1973 59 31 10
1970 47 42 11
1969 48 38 14
1965 38 47 15

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"Do you feel that executing people who commit murder deters others from committing murder, or do you think such executions don't have much effect?"

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Deters
Others		 Not Much
Effect		 Unsure
% % %
2/5-11/08 42 52 6
12/10-16/03 41 53 6
7/01 42 52 7
2000 44 50 7
1999 47 49 4
1997 49 49 2
1983 63 32 5
1976 59 34 7

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"In general, would you like to see an increase or decrease in the number of convicted criminals who are executed, or no change?"

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Increase Decrease No Change Unsure
% % % %
2/5-11/08 36 26 31 7
12/10-16/03 36 21 33 11
7/01 35 26 30 8
2000 36 22 31 11
1999 43 21 28 7
1997 53 14 27 6

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"Do you think that innocent people are sometimes convicted of murder, or that this never happens?"

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Sometimes Never Unsure
% % %
2/5-11/08 95 4 1
12/10-16/03 95 4 2
7/01 94 3 3
2000 94 5 1
1999 95 3 1

 

ABC News/Facebook poll. Dec. 16-19, 2007. N=1,142 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3. Fieldwork by TNS.

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"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?"

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Favor Oppose Unsure
% % %

12/16-19/07

 65 30 5
6/22-25/06 65 32 3

6/05

 66 32 2

4/21-24/05

 65 29 6
1/03 64 31 5
5/02 65 26 9
4/01 63 28 9
6/00 63 27 10
1/00 64 27 9
8/98 69 27 4
8/96 77 19 4

 

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Nov. 2-4, 2007. N=1,024 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Which comes closer to your view? States should be allowed to execute prisoners sentenced to the death penalty by means of lethal injection. OR, Lethal injection of death row prisoners represents cruel and unusual punishment that should not be permitted."

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Allow Lethal
Injection		 Should Not
Be Permitted		 Unsure    
% % %    

11/2-4/07

 70 28 2    

 

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. July 18-21, 2007. N=1,125 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3 (for all adults). Fieldwork by TNS.

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"Some people support the use of surveillance cameras in public places as a way to help solve crimes. Others say these cameras go too far as a government intrusion on personal privacy. What's your opinion? Do you support or oppose the increased use of surveillance cameras in public places?"

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Support

Oppose

Depends
(vol.)
% % %

ALL adults

 71 25 5

   Democrats

 66 30

   Independents

 71 23

   Republicans

 81 16

   Men

 66 29

   Women

 75 21

 

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. July 17-18, 2007. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Some people support increasing the use of surveillance cameras in public spaces because they think it would help stop or catch terrorists and other criminals. Other people oppose increasing the use of surveillance cameras because they think it would violate the privacy of law-abiding citizens. Which of these positions is closer to your own? Do you support increasing the use of surveillance cameras or oppose increasing the use of surveillance cameras?"

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Support

Oppose

Combined/
Depends (vol.)

Unsure
% % % %

7/17-18/07

 58 28 11 3

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"How concerned are you that the government is using surveillance technologies like cameras and monitoring of personal information to get private information about you? . . ."

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Very
Concerned

Somewhat
Concerned

Not Very
Concerned

Not at All
Concerned

Unsure
% % % % %

7/17-18/07

 29 26 18 25 1

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"How concerned are you that private companies are using surveillance technologies like cameras and monitoring of personal information to get private information about you? . . ."

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Very
Concerned

Somewhat
Concerned

Not Very
Concerned

Not at All
Concerned

Unsure
% % % % %

7/17-18/07

 46 29 9 13 2

 

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. June 22-25, 2006. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3. Fieldwork by TNS.

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"Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder: the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole?" Options rotated

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Death
Penalty		 Life In
Prison		 Unsure
% % %
6/22-25/06 50 46 5
6/05 51 46 3
1/03 49 45 6
5/02 46 43 11
4/01 46 45 9
1/00 48 43 10

 

Gallup Poll. May 8-11, 2006. N=510 adults nationwide. MoE ± 5.

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"How often do you think that a person has been executed under the death penalty who was, in fact, innocent of the crime he or she was charged with? Do you think this has happened in the past five years, or not?"

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  Has
Happened		 Has Not Unsure
  % % %
5/8-11/06 63 27 10
5/2-5/05 59 33 8
5/03 73 22 5

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"Do you feel that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to the commitment of murder -- that it lowers the murder rate -- or not?"

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  Does Deter Does Not Unsure
% % %
5/8-11/06 34 64 2
5/04 35 62 3
6/91 51 41 8

 

USA Today/Gallup Poll. May 5-7, 2006. N=521 adults nationwide. MoE ± 5.

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"If you could choose between the following two approaches, which do you think is the better penalty for murder: the death penalty or life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole?" Options rotated

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  Death
Penalty		 Life In
Prison		 Unsure
% % %
5/5-7/06 47 48 5
5/04 50 46 4
5/03 53 44 3
5/02 52 43 5
5/01 52 43 5

 

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. March 8-12, 2006. N=1,405 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"As I list some programs and proposals that are being discussed in this country today, please tell me whether you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose each. The death penalty for persons convicted of murder."

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Strongly
Favor		 Favor Oppose Strongly
Oppose		 Unsure
% % % % %

3/8-12/06

 27 38 19 8 8