American support for the death penalty has steadily decreased since its peak in the mid 1990’s when it reached 80%. According to a recent Gallup poll, 6 in 10 Americans support capital punishment, which is still the solid majority.
The good news is that the percentage of Americans who oppose the death penalty has steadily risen from its low point of 16% in 1994, to its current 37%.
The cause of the growing dip in support may have something to do with all the negative attention the lethal injection is receiving in places like Oklahoma and Missouri.
The controversy over the lethal injection protocol could mean that executions hit a 24-year low in the United States.