Split Decision on Death Penalty
Alternative Dilutes Desire for Capital Punishment

Analysis By Dalia Sussman, ABCNews.com

Jan. 19 Public support for the death penalty is high but hardly monolithic: It drops sharply, below a majority, when life in prison without parole is offered as an alternative.

In a new ABCNEWS.com poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they support the death penalty for people convicted of murder. But when theyre asked which punishment they prefer, death or life without parole, support for the death penalty plunges, from 64 percent to 48 percent.

Support for the death penalty itself seems to have slipped somewhat, from a high of 77 percent in a 1996 poll to 64 percent now. And in a Gallup poll last winter, more preferred death to life in prison 56 percent, compared to 48 percent in this poll.

Campaign Issue

Capital punishment is emerging as an issue in the 2000 presidential campaign, largely because Texas Gov. George W. Bush has overseen far more executions than any other governor. Texas has six executions scheduled to take place by the end of this month.

Support for the death penalty is much higher in two groups central to Bushs presidential aspirations: Republicans and independents. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans and independents alike support the death penalty. When weighed against life in prison for offenders, the death penalty is preferred by 57 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of independents.

Among Democrats a less-likely support group for Bush support for the death penalty is far lower.

Other Groups

There also are significant differences among other groups. Men tend to favor the death penalty more than women do, and whites are much more apt to favor it than are blacks.

Methodology

This ABCNEWS.com survey was conducted by telephone Jan. 12-16 among a random national sample of 1,006 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Field work was done by ICR-International Communications Research of Media, Pa.