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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsSocial IssuesStarted 14yrs agoActive 2yrs ago

Do you support the death penalty?

The death penalty or capital punishment is the punishment by death for a crime. Currently 58 countries worldwide allow the death penalty (including the U.S.) while 97 countries have outlawed it. Since the 1970s executions in the U.S. have declined every year. In 2021 five states and the federal government carried out 11 executions. The decline is part of a decadeslong trend as the costs associated with seeking the death penalty, the lengthy appeals process often associated with capital punishment, concerns about executing the innocent and a long-term decline in crime rates have caused many prosecutors and legislators in the U.S. to pull back from capital punishment.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 652k America voters.

62%
Yes
38%
No
44%
Yes
32%
No
17%
Yes, but only for horrific crimes with undeniable evidence
3%
No, too many people are innocently convicted
1%
Yes, but the victim’s family should decide the punishment
3%
No, spending life in prison is a harsher sentence

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 652k America voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 652k America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @cryingleftist from Texas  answered…6yrs6Y

The offender should have a choice between life in prison and the death penalty.

 @8CGS9HS from New Jersey  answered…6yrs6Y

No. The government does not have the authority to kill a citizen for any reason.

 @5BPWZYZfrom Ohio  answered…6yrs6Y

Those who are for the death penalty are hypocritical. You are killing someone because they killed someone... you are punishing them for a crime that you are committing by killing them. And if you kill that person they don't have to live with the wrongs they have done. Spending life in prison is way more harsh then killing them.

 @4WVPX4Lfrom Virginia  answered…6yrs6Y

No. Some people deserve to die. In fact, let's expand it to include child molesters, corrupt politicians, and the jerk who steals my parking space.

 @9GN5KWP from North Carolina  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but only for the most horrific crimes with absolutely undeniable evidence and if they’re deemed too dangerous to themselves and others or likely to escape a life sentence in prison

 @4Z7HS5Vfrom California  answered…6yrs6Y

No, anyone can be rehabilitated.

 @4Z3Q5XRfrom California  answered…6yrs6Y

Yes and all death row prisoners should give up all rights and we should use body parts of all death row convicts as needed to save the lives of law abiding citizens

 @5B47QPPfrom New York  answered…6yrs6Y

It is morally justifiable to execute a guilty person. It is not morally justifiable to kill innocent babies in the womb.

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “Death Penalty” news articles, updated frequently.

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TikTok star from Kent faces death penalty for Dubai murder

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British TikToker Brooke George could face death penalty after Dubai murder charge

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Influencer, 23, Faces Potential Death Penalty After She Was Charged with Murder of Her Boyfriend: Report

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

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About This Data

Based on 652k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

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iSideWith. (2026). “Do you support the death penalty?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/49841143

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