blic based their views strictly on the deterrent effects and cost effectiveness of the death penalty. Public opinion on capital punishment in America over the past 50 years has fluctuated tremendously. Support was fairly low through the 1950's, and in 1966 only 47% of the American public voiced their support. Since 1982, about 75% of the population has favored capital punishment, with a slow decline in recent years (Gillespie 1999). The arguments surround
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