Americans’ Support for the Death Penalty in Perspective

Gallup has tracked Americans’ views on the death penalty since 1937. How and why has this support or opposition changed over time? What percentage of Americans currently support using capital punishment? And what reasons do supporters of the death penalty give for why they support it? Sandra Babcock, clinical professor at Cornell Law School and a lawyer who specializes in human rights and the death penalty, shares her perspective based on decades of involvement in death penalty litigation. Later, what percentage of Americans say that they or someone in their family will be denied health insurance coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition?