Death Penalty is an Issue Essay Example

for the death penalty also significantly increases. The level of education is crucial in shaping perspectives on controversial societal issues. Lack of education hinders critical thinking and understanding of diverse opinions. Conversely, higher education enables individuals to critically analyze the death penalty matter.

As individuals become more educated, they develop a rational comprehension of the reasons behind the utilization of the death penalty and consequently endorse it. The perception of various matters is heavily influenced by religion. Numerous religions object to capital punishment due to their belief in the sanctity of life and that only God possesses the authority to end it.

As religious devotion strengthens, support for capital punishment decreases among those with religious beliefs compared to individuals without such beliefs. The role of politics is significant in addressing societal concerns since political parties are formed based on influencing members' positions on various matters through their beliefs and traditions.

The attitude towards the death penalty in the United States differs based on political affiliation. Democrats, known for their liberal views, may endorse capital punishment, whereas Republicans, who usually hold conservative beliefs, may be against it (Steinberg and Scott, 2003).

The level of support for the death penalty is influenced by people's political affiliation and cultural background. Cultural norms prevalent in societies shape individuals' perspectives on controversial topics like capital punishment. Those living in societies that approve of the death penalty generally have a more liberal viewpoint, while those residing in cultures that oppose it also tend to be against it. Thus, culture plays a crucial role in determining support for the death penalty.

Annotated Bibliography

Blum, S. A. (1992). Public Executions: Understand the Cruel and

Unusual Punishments Clause. Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 19 (2): 415. The article provides a thorough analysis of current executions and suggested capital punishment in different states, presenting the information in an effective manner.

The article analyzes the use of capital punishment by totalitarian governments as a means of controlling behavior. It also discusses the constitutional responses to this practice. The information presented in the article is valuable and will greatly influence my research, as I plan to incorporate some of its content into my study. Therefore, it is an outstanding source for my work.

The article "Persuasion and Resistance: Race and the Death Penalty in America" (2007) by Piffle, M. and Hurwitz, J. offers valuable insights into capital sentencing in the United States. The authors discuss how specific races experience unequal consequences of the death penalty. This well-written piece from the American Journal of Political Science provides important concepts for further exploration.

According to the article, race significantly influences crime and capital punishment. African Americans are especially affected by capital punishment, as they are disproportionately involved in criminal activities (Campbell, K., Martin, D., and Richard, M., 2001, Amending Youth Justice Policy in Canada: Discourse, Mediation and Ambiguity).

The article "Howard Journal 40(3): 272-284" explores the implementation of law and order policies in postmodern democracies, particularly examining the use of capital punishment as a means to engage the public in discussions about crime. It specifically analyzes Canada's endeavors to address the death penalty for young offenders through amendments outlined in Bill C-37 from 1995. This study offers valuable insights on these subjects and will be an indispensable resource for my research.

Steinberg, L., and. Scott, S.E. (2003). "Less guilty by reason

of adolescence: developmental immaturity, diminished responsibility, and the juvenile death penalty." American Psychologist 58.12: 1009.

The article by Steinberg and Scott (2003) explores the use of a developmental perspective to evaluate juveniles' ability to engage in criminal behavior and their qualification for capital punishment. The authors also examine the concept of reduced liability when it comes to committing severe crimes.

The article stresses the significance of differentiating between juvenile criminals and adult criminals in society, emphasizing that juveniles are not fully developed and should not be treated the same. The valuable information presented in the article will greatly contribute to my research as it effectively presents arguments on capital punishment.

The study "Racial prejudice and the death penalty: a research note" conducted by Aguirre, A. and Baker, V.D. (1993) investigates the connection between racial prejudice in white individuals and their opinions on capital punishment. The authors aim to evaluate how race-based prejudice influences support for the death penalty.

The National Opinion Research Center conducted research in 1984 that explores the relationship between bias in white individuals and their views on the death penalty, comparing them to the perspectives of black individuals. This article is a valuable resource as it offers different viewpoints on support for capital punishment.

Research Methods

This essay utilizes descriptive, comparative, analytical, and prescriptive methods to analyze the data. The primary research method used is literature review.

Both primary and secondary sources will be utilized for this research. Primary sources consist of authoritative records of law-making organs relating to the death penalty and its associated rights. Specifically, statistical data will be collected from the annual GSS (1998) conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University

of Chicago, which is part of a federally funded National Data Program for the Social Sciences. The primary sources involve data collected from a total of 2832 respondents, comprising 1232 males and 1600 females. These sources also consider quotas based on sex, age, and employment status. The authenticity and verifiability of primary data will be heavily relied upon.

The literature review will be the main source of information for this essay. It will carefully analyze peer reviewed articles, books, and other secondary sources to form opinions based on the provided information. Commentaries on the data will also be considered. Furthermore, various secondary sources including books, journal articles, reports, newspaper articles, and internet sources will be utilized in the research paper.

The third research methodology that will be employed is participative observation of individuals on death row, along with activists advocating for the rights of convicted murderers and any related activities. These observations will aid the researcher in developing an insightful opinion based on real-life circumstances. Unlike a literature review, observations are hands-on rather than theoretical.