Death penalty basics
What is the death penalty?
A legal punishment where the government executes someone for a serious crime.
What court has the final say on whether the death penalty is constitutional?
The U.S. Supreme Court.
What is the most common execution method in the U.S.?
Lethal injection
Do most liberals support or oppose the death penalty?
Oppose
Do most conservatives support or oppose the death penalty?
Support
What is another name for the death penalty?
Capital punishment.
Can people sentenced to death appeal their conviction?
Yes
Question: Name one execution method used in the past.
Electric chair, gas chamber, hanging, or firing squad.
What major concern do liberals raise about wrongful convictions?
Innocent people could be executed.
What crime prevention argument do conservatives often make?
The death penalty deters serious crime.
What crime most commonly results in the death penalty?
Aggravated murder.
Are juveniles allowed to receive the death penalty today?
No
Has the number of executions increased or decreased in recent years?
Decreased.
What racial issue do liberals often mention when discussing the death penalty?
It is applied unfairly to minorities
What justice-related belief supports capital punishment?
Punishment should fit the crime.
Is the death penalty legal in every U.S. state?
No.
What amendment is often used in arguments about cruel punishment?
The eighth amendment
What is the term for someone freed after being sentenced to death?
Exonerated
What alternative punishment do many liberals support instead of execution?
Life in prison without parole
Why do conservatives argue appeals should be limited?
To avoid long delays and high costs.
Who decides whether a defendant receives the death penalty?
A jury or a judge, depending on the case and state law.
What Supreme Court case temporarily stopped the death penalty in 1972?
Georgia
Which U.S. region carries out the most executions?
The south
What moral belief do liberals often use against the death penalty?
The government should not have the power to take a life.
What belief about victims’ families is often used to support the death penalty?
It provides justice or closure.