Crime (2)

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Crime / Law Enforcement / Criminal Justice

Pew Research Center. Nov. 9-14, 2011. N=2,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?" 2006: "As I list some programs and proposals that are being discussed in this country today, please tell me whether you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose each. The death penalty for persons convicted of murder."
						.
		Strongly Favor	Favor	Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	11/9-14/11	28	34	20	11	7
	3/8-12/06	27	38	19	8	8

Gallup Poll. Oct. 6-9, 2011. N=1,005 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.
						.
"Are you in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/6-9/11	61	35	4
	10/7-10/10	64	29	6
	10/1-4/09	65	31	5
	10/3-5/08	64	30	5
	10/4-7/07	69	27	4
	5/5-7/06	65	28	7
	10/13-16/05	64	30	6
	10/11-14/04	64	31	5
	5/04	71	26	3
	10/03	64	32	4
	5/19-21/03	70	28	2
	5/5-7/03	74	24	2
	10/02	70	25	5
	5/02	72	25	3
	10/01	68	26	6
	5/01	65	27	8
	2/01	67	25	8
	9/00	67	28	5
	6/00	66	26	8
	2/00	66	28	6
	2/99	71	22	7
	5/95	77	13	10
	9/94	80	16	4
	6/91	76	18	6
						.
"In your opinion, is the death penalty imposed too often, about the right amount, or not often enough?" Options rotated
						.
		Too often	About right	Not enough	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/6-9/11	25	27	40	8
	10/7-10/10	18	26	49	7
	10/1-4/09	20	24	49	7
	10/3-5/08	21	23	48	8
	10/4-7/07	21	26	49	4
	5/8-11/06	21	25	51	3
	5/2-5/05	20	24	53	3
	5/04	23	25	48	4
	5/03	23	26	48	3
	5/02	22	24	47	7
	5/01	21	34	38	7
						.
"Generally speaking, do you believe the death penalty is applied fairly or unfairly in this country today?"
						.
		Fairly	Unfairly	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/6-9/11	52	41	6
	10/7-10/10	58	36	7
	10/1-4/09	57	34	9
	10/3-5/08	54	38	8
	10/4-7/07	57	38	5
	5/8-11/06	60	35	4
	5/2-5/05	61	35	4
	5/04	55	39	6
	5/03	60	37	3
	5/02	53	40	7
	6/00	51	41	8
						.
"Do you feel that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to the commitment of murder -- that it lowers the murder rate -- or not?"
						.
		Acts as a deterrent	Does not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/6-9/11	32	64	4
	5/8-11/06	34	64	2
	5/04	35	62	3
	6/91	51	41	8

CNN/ORC Poll. Sept. 23-25, 2011. N=1,010 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"If you could choose between the following two approaches, which do you think is the better penalty for murder: the death penalty, or life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole?"
					.
		Death penalty	Life imprisonment	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/23-25/11	48	50	2
	Democrats	28	69	3
	Independents	50	47	3
	Republicans	67	31	2
					.
"How often do you think that a person has been executed under the death penalty who was, in fact, innocent of the crime he or she was charged with? Do you think this has happened in the past five years, or not?"
					.
		Has	Has not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	9/23-25/11	72	23	5

Gallup Poll. Oct. 7-10, 2010. N=1,025 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.
					.
"If you could choose between the following two approaches, which do you think is the better penalty for murder: the death penalty or life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole?" Options rotated. N=514 (Form B), MoE ą 5.
					.
		Death penalty	Life imprisonment	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/7-10/10	49	46	6
	5/5-7/06	47	48	5

Gallup Poll. Oct. 1-4, 2009. N=1,013 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 4.
					.
"How often do you think that a person has been executed under the death penalty who was, in fact, innocent of the crime he or she was charged with? Do you think this has happened in the past five years, or not?"
					.
		Has happened	Has not	Unsure
		%	%	%
	10/1-4/09	59	31	10
	5/8-11/06	63	27	10
	5/2-5/05	59	33	8
	5/5-7/03	73	22	5

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. May 14-17, 2009. Adults nationwide.
					.
"If you could choose between the following two approaches, which do you think is the better penalty for murder: the death penalty, or life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole?" N=515 (Form A), MoE ą 4.5
					.
		Death penalty	Life imprisonment	Unsure
		%	%	%
	5/14-17/09	53	46	2
					.
"As you may know, according to the U.S. Constitution, any punishment that is considered 'cruel and unusual' cannot be used on people convicted of any crime. Do you consider the death penalty to be a cruel and unusual punishment, or don't you feel that way?" N=495 (Form B), MoE ą 4.5
					.
		Is cruel and unusual	Don't feel that way
		%	%
	5/14-17/09	26	73

CBS News Poll. March 12-16, 2009. N=1,142 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"As you may know, the legal drinking age is 21. Would you approve or disapprove of states lowering the drinking age to 18, if the states felt that would give the police more time to enforce other laws?"
					.
		Approve	Disapprove	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/12-16/09	24	73	3

CBS News/New York Times Poll. July 7-14, 2008. N=1,796 adults nationwide (margin of error ą 3), including, with an oversample, 297 blacks (margin of error ą 6) and 246 Hispanics (margin of error ą 6).
					.
"Have you ever felt you were stopped by the police just because of your race or ethnic background?"
					.
		Yes	No	Unsure
		%	%	%
	ALL	13	86	-
	Whites	7	93	0
	Blacks	43	57	0
	Hispanics	30	69	1

Quinnipiac University Poll. July 8-13, 2008. N=1,783 registered voters nationwide.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?" Split sample A
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	63	29	8
	12/7-12/04	62	29	9
					.
"The Supreme Court has recently ruled that a mandatory death penalty for child rape is unconstitutional. Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of child rape?" Split sample A
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	7/8-13/08	55	38	7

The Harris Poll. Feb. 5-11, 2008. N=1,010 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"Do you believe in capital punishment -- that is, the death penalty -- or are you opposed to it?"
						.
		Believe In It	Opposed	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/5-11/08	63	30	7
	12/10-16/03	69	22	9
	7/01	67	26	7
	2000	64	25	11
	1999	71	21	8
	1997	75	22	3
	1983	68	27	5
	1976	67	25	8
	1973	59	31	10
	1970	47	42	11
	1969	48	38	14
	1965	38	47	15
						.
"Do you feel that executing people who commit murder deters others from committing murder, or do you think such executions don't have much effect?"
						.
		Deters Others	Not Much Effect	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/5-11/08	42	52	6
	12/10-16/03	41	53	6
	7/01	42	52	7
	2000	44	50	7
	1999	47	49	4
	1997	49	49	2
	1983	63	32	5
	1976	59	34	7
						.
"In general, would you like to see an increase or decrease in the number of convicted criminals who are executed, or no change?"
						.
		Increase	Decrease	No Change	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	2/5-11/08	36	26	31	7
	12/10-16/03	36	21	33	11
	7/01	35	26	30	8
	2000	36	22	31	11
	1999	43	21	28	7
	1997	53	14	27	6
						.
"Do you think that innocent people are sometimes convicted of murder, or that this never happens?"
						.
		Sometimes	Never	Unsure
		%	%	%
	2/5-11/08	95	4	1
	12/10-16/03	95	4	2
	7/01	94	3	3
	2000	94	5	1
	1999	95	3	1

ABC News/Facebook poll. Dec. 16-19, 2007. N=1,142 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/16-19/07	65	30	5
	6/22-25/06	65	32	3
	6/05	66	32	2
	4/21-24/05	65	29	6
	1/03	64	31	5
	5/02	65	26	9
	4/01	63	28	9
	6/00	63	27	10
	1/00	64	27	9
	8/98	69	27	4
	8/96	77	19	4

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Nov. 2-4, 2007. N=1,024 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Which comes closer to your view? States should be allowed to execute prisoners sentenced to the death penalty by means of lethal injection. OR, Lethal injection of death row prisoners represents cruel and unusual punishment that should not be permitted."
					.
		Allow Lethal Injection	Should Not Be Permitted	Unsure
		%	%	%
	11/2-4/07	70	28	2

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. July 18-21, 2007. N=1,125 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Some people support the use of surveillance cameras in public places as a way to help solve crimes. Others say these cameras go too far as a government intrusion on personal privacy. What's your opinion? Do you support or oppose the increased use of surveillance cameras in public places?"
					.
		Support	Oppose	Depends (vol.)
		%	%	%
	ALL adults	71	25	5
	Democrats	66	30
	Independents	71	23
	Republicans	81	16
	Men	66	29
	Women	75	21

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. July 17-18, 2007. N=900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"Some people support increasing the use of surveillance cameras in public spaces because they think it would help stop or catch terrorists and other criminals. Other people oppose increasing the use of surveillance cameras because they think it would violate the privacy of law-abiding citizens. Which of these positions is closer to your own? Do you support increasing the use of surveillance cameras or oppose increasing the use of surveillance cameras?"
						.
		Support	Oppose	Combined/ Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/17-18/07	58	28	11	3
						.
"How concerned are you that the government is using surveillance technologies like cameras and monitoring of personal information to get private information about you? . . ."
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not Very Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/17-18/07	29	26	18	25	1
						.
"How concerned are you that private companies are using surveillance technologies like cameras and monitoring of personal information to get private information about you? . . ."
						.
		Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Not Very Concerned	Not at All Concerned	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	7/17-18/07	46	29	9	13	2

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. June 22-25, 2006. N=1,000 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder: the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole?" Options rotated
					.
		Death Penalty	Life In Prison	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/22-25/06	50	46	5
	6/05	51	46	3
	1/03	49	45	6
	5/02	46	43	11
	4/01	46	45	9
	1/00	48	43	10

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey. March 8-12, 2006. N=1,405 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"As I list some programs and proposals that are being discussed in this country today, please tell me whether you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose each. The death penalty for persons convicted of murder."
						.
		Strongly Favor	Favor	Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	3/8-12/06	27	38	19	8	8

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey. Dec. 7-11, 2005. N=1,502 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	12/7-11/05	62	30	8

Gallup Poll. Oct. 13-16, 2005. N=1,012 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.		.
"Is there more crime in your area than there was a year ago, or less?"
					.		.
		More	Less	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/13-16/05	47	33	18	2
	10/11-14/04	37	37	22	4
	10/03	40	39	19	2
	10/02	37	34	24	5
	10/01	26	52	18	4
	8-9/00	34	46	15	5
	10/98	31	48	16	5
	8/97	46	32	20	2
	7/96	46	24	25	5
	3/92	54	19	23	4
	9/90	51	18	24	8
	6/89	53	18	22	7
	1/89	47	21	27	5
	1983	37	17	36	10
	1981	54	8	29	9
	1977	43	17	32	8
	1975	50	12	29	9
	1972	51	10	27	12
					.		.
"Is there more crime in the U.S. than there was a year ago, or less?"
					.		.
		More	Less	Same (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	10/13-16/05	67	21	9	3
	10/11-14/04	53	28	14	5
	10/03	60	25	11	4
	10/02	62	21	11	6
	10/01	41	43	10	6
	8-9/00	47	41	7	5
	10/98	52	35	8	5
	8/97	64	25	6	5
	7/96	71	15	8	6
	10/93	87	4	5	4
	3/92	89	3	4	4
	9/90	84	3	7	6
	6/89	84	5	5	6
					.		.
"Overall, how would you describe the problem of crime in the United States? Is it extremely serious, very serious, moderately serious, not too serious, or not serious at all?"
					.		.
		Extremely Serious	Very Serious	Moderately Serious	Not Too Serious	Not Serious At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	10/13-16/05	19	30	46	4	-	1
	10/11-14/04	13	29	52	5	-	1
	10/03	17	37	40	4	1	1
	8-9/00	22	38	35	3	1	1
					.		.
"Overall, how would you describe the problem of crime in the area where you live? Is it extremely serious, very serious, moderately serious, not too serious, or not serious at all?"
					.		.
		Extremely Serious	Very Serious	Moderately Serious	Not Too Serious	Not Serious At All	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
	10/13-16/05	5	7	30	39	19	-
	10/11-14/04	2	6	31	37	24	-
	10/03	4	7	33	35	21	-
	8-9/00	3	9	35	35	18	-

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. June 2-5, 2005. N=1,002 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"Who do you trust more to deal with the issue of the death penalty: your state legislature or your state courts?" Options rotated
						.
		State Legislature	State Courts	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/2-5/05	40	53	1	4	1

CBS News Poll. April 13-16, 2005. N=1,149 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"What do you think should be the penalty for persons convicted of murder: the death penalty, life in prison with no chance of parole, or a long prison sentence with a chance of parole?"
						.
		Death Penalty	Life in Prison	Long Sentence	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	4/13-16/05	39	39	6	13	3

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. March 29-30, 2005. N=900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of premeditated murder?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	3/29-30/05	69	24	8
	6/03	69	23	8
	6/01	68	22	10
	6/00	68	24	8
	2/00	67	22	11
	1/98	74	18	8
	6/97	73	18	9
	5/97	76	17	7

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Robert Teeter (R). Jan. 19-21, 2003. N=500 adults nationwide.
			.
"Recently there has been some discussion about whether the death penalty is fairly applied. Which of the following statements comes closer to your view? Statement A: There should be a moratorium on state executions until death penalty procedures are officially reviewed. OR, Statement B: No moratorium on state executions is needed -- states only need to ensure that the accused receive fair trials."
			.
		%	.
	A. There should be a moratorium	34
	B. There should not be a moratorium	57
	I don't believe in the death penalty (vol.)	4
	Not sure	5

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. July 23-24, 2002. N=900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"Do you favor or oppose making the death penalty mandatory for anyone found guilty of abducting and murdering a child?"
						.
		Favor	Oppose	Depends (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
	7/02	71	17	8	4

Gallup Poll. May 6-9, 2002. N=1,012 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for [see below]?"
					.
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	Women	68	29	3
	Juveniles	26	69	5
	The mentally ill	19	75	6
	The mentally retarded	13	82	5

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. June 6-7, 2001. N=900 registered voters nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of premeditated murder?"
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/01	68	22	10
					.
"Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for a person convicted of premeditated murder, if that person is shown to be mentally retarded?"
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure
		%	%	%
	6/01	19	67	14

*ABC News/Washington* Post Poll**. April 20-24, 2001. N=1,003 adults nationwide. Margin of error ą 3.
						.
"In deciding how to vote in a state or national election, how important is it to you that a political candidate agrees with your position on the death penalty: very important, somewhat important, not too important or not important at all?"
			%
	Very important		28
	Somewhat important		44
	Not too important		19
	Not important at all		8
	No opinion		2
						.
"Regardless of your overall opinion on the death penalty, for each statement I read please tell me if you agree with it strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat or disagree strongly.
		Agree Strongly	Agree Somewhat	Disagree Strongly	Disagree Somewhat	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
	"The death penalty is fair because it prevents killers from killing again."
		48	24	16	10	1
						.
	"The death penalty is unfair because sometimes an innocent person is executed."
		35	33	11	18	2
						.
	"The death penalty is unfair because it's applied differently from county to county and state to state."
		32	31	13	17	6
						.
	"The death penalty is fair because it gives satisfaction and closure to the families of murder victims."
		30	30	22	15	4
						.
	"The death penalty is fair because it's an eye for an eye -- the killer is killed."
		28	28	26	15	3
						.
	"The death penalty is unfair because it's applied unequally to blacks compared to whites."
		22	15	33	20	10
						.
"Do you feel that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder -- that it lowers the murder rate -- or not?"
			%
	Acts as a deterrent to murder		43
	Does not		52
	No opinion		6
						.
"Some people say there should be a halt in all executions in this country while a commission studies whether the death penalty has or has not been administered fairly. Others say there already are enough safeguards to prevent unfair or mistaken executions. What do you think? Would you support or oppose a halt in executions while this issue is studied?"
		%
	Support	51
	Oppose	43
	No opinion	6

*Gallup/CNN/USA Today* Poll**. April 20-22, 2001. Nationwide.
			.
"Suppose for a moment that a violent crime is committed against a pregnant woman and the unborn child is harmed or killed. Do you think the criminal should or should not face additional charges for harming the unborn child as well as the woman?" Form A (N=500 adults, MoE ą 5)
		%
	Should	93
	Should not	5
	No opinion	2
			.
"Suppose for a moment that a violent crime is committed against a pregnant woman and the fetus is harmed or killed. Do you think the criminal should or should not face additional charges for harming the fetus as well as the woman?" Form B (N=515 adults, MoE ą 5)
		%
	Should	86
	Should not	9
	No opinion	5

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Robert Teeter (R). July 27-28, 2000. N=500 registered voters nationwide.
			.
"From what you know, do you think that the death penalty is or is not applied fairly?"
		%
	Applied fairly	42
	Not applied fairly	42
	Depends (vol.)	8
	Not sure	8
			.
"As you may have heard, there have been several instances in which criminals sentenced to be executed have been released based on new evidence or new DNA testing. Based on this information, would you favor or oppose a suspension of the death penalty until questions about its fairness can be studied?"
		%
	Favor suspension	63
	Oppose suspension	30
	Depends (vol.)	4
	Not sure	3

Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. June 28-29, 2000. N=900 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
				.
"Regardless of how you plan to vote for president, from what you know, do you approve or disapprove of the way Governor Bush has handled death penalty cases in Texas?"
		%
	Approve	49
	Disapprove	26
	Not sure	25
				.
"Admittedly the system varies from state to state, but in general, do you think that death row inmates are given too much help and opportunity to appeal their cases and try to prove their innocence, or are inmates not given sufficient help and opportunity to appeal their cases and prove their innocence?"
			%
	Too much		48
	Not enough		19
	About the right amount (vol.)		23
	Not sure		10

*CNN/USA Today/Gallup* Poll. June 23-25, 2000. N=1,020 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"How often do you think that a person has been executed who was, in fact, innocent of the crime he or she was charged with? Do you think this has EVER happened in the past five years, or do you think it has NEVER happened?" Form A (N=520, MoE ą 5)
		%
	Has happened	80
	Has not	14
	No opinion	6
			.
"Since George W. Bush became governor of Texas in 1995, how often do you think that a person in Texas has been executed who was, in fact, innocent of the crime he or she was charged with? Do you think this has EVER happened since Bush became governor, or do you think it has NEVER happened?" Form B (N=231, MoE ą 7)
		%
	Has happened	46
	Has not	26
	No opinion	28

ABC News.com Poll. June 14-18, 2000. N=1,004 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
				.
"As you may have heard, a recent study found that over two-thirds of death penalty sentences that are appealed are later overturned by higher courts because of flaws in the way the cases were investigated or tried. Does this finding make you more likely to (support/oppose) the death penalty, more likely to (oppose/support) the death penalty, or doesn't it have much effect on your opinion one way or the other?"
			%
	More likely to support		13
	More likely to oppose		25
	Not much effect		58
	No opinion		4
				.
"Regardless of whom you support for president, given what you know would you say you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush has handled the death penalty during his time as governor of Texas?"
		%
	Approve	38
	Disapprove	25
	No opinion	37

ABC News.com Poll. May 31-June 4, 2000. N=1,013 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
						.
"How would you rate the crime problem in this country? Would you say it's very bad, bad, not too bad or not bad at all?"
		Very Bad	Bad	Not Too Bad	Not Bad At All	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/00	36	44	18	1	1
	6/97	42	44	12	1	1
	5/96	48	42	9	1	0
						.
	Asked of those who answered "Very Bad" or "Bad": "When you say the crime problem in this country is bad, is that based on what you've seen or read in the news, or is it based on your own personal experience?"
		News	Exper- ience	No Opinion
		%	%	%
	6/00	82	17	2
	6/97	83	16	1
	5/96	76	22	2
						.
"How would you rate the crime problem in your own community where you live? Would you say it's very bad, bad, not too bad or not bad at all?"
		Very Bad	Bad	Not Too Bad	Not Bad At All	No Opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
	6/00	5	18	52	25	1
	6/97	7	18	49	25	-
	5/96	7	24	47	21	-

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. June 1-2, 2000. N=750 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4 (total sample).
					.
"Which one of the following four statements comes closest to your opinion of who should be subject to the death penalty? Only those convicted of murder. Only those convicted of the most brutal murders, mass murders and serial killings. All those convicted of murder, other especially violent crimes, and major drug dealing. OR, Do you oppose the death penalty in all cases?"
		ALL	White, Non-Hispanic	Non-White
		%	%	%
	Murder	12	13	10
	Brutal murders	38	40	33
	Murder, drug dealing	23	24	15
	Oppose in all cases	19	16	30
	Don't know	8	7	12
					.
Asked of death penalty supporters: "Which of the following is the main reason why you support the death penalty? It deters others from committing violent crime. An 'eye for an eye' is just punishment for those convicted. It provides some comfort and consolation for the loved ones of the victims. OR, Some other reason."
		%
	Deters others	34
	Eye for an eye	26
	Comfort and consolation	13
	Other reason	25
	Don't know	2
					.
Asked of death penalty opponents: "Which of the following is the main reason why you oppose the death penalty? It does not deter others from committing violent crime. It's wrong for the state to put people to death. It results in some innocent people being put to death. It hurts America's image in the world. OR, Some other reason?"
			%
	Does not deter others		11
	Wrong for state to put people to death		20
	Some innocent people put to death		28
	Hurts America's image		2
	Other reason		36
	Don't know		3		.
					.
"Whatever your position on the death penalty, do you think it is a major deterrent to violent crime, a minor deterrent, or not a deterrent at all?"
		ALL	Death Penalty Supporters	Death Penalty Opponents
		%	%	%
	Major deterrent	33	41	8
	Minor deterrent	29	32	20
	Not a deterrent	30	21	66
	Don't know	8	6	4
					.
"In general, how confident are you that those convicted of violent crimes and sentenced to death are actually guilty? Are you . . ."
		ALL	Death Penalty Supporters	Death Penalty Opponents
		%	%	%
	Very confident	32	40	11
	Somewhat confident	40	42	32
	Not too confident	14	8	33
	Not at all confident	6	3	18
	Don't know	8	7	6
					.
"When state governors make decisions about whether to delay an execution or recommend clemency in Death Row cases, do you think they generally make these decisions MAINLY based on the facts of the case or MAINLY because of political considerations?"
		%
	Facts of the case	36
	Political considerations	55
	Don't know	9
					.
"As you may know, Texas Governor George W. Bush said last week that, for the first time since he became governor, he was likely to grant a stay of execution to a Death Row inmate who wants new DNA testing of crime scene evidence. Do you think Bush decided to do this MAINLY based on the facts of the case or MAINLY because of political considerations? "
		ALL	Bush Supporters	Gore Supporters	.
		%	%	%	.
	Facts of the case	27	42	12	.
	Political considerations	59	41	79	.
	Don't know	14	17	9	.
					.
"Since the death penalty was reinstated in the 1970s, do you think many innocent people have been wrongly executed, only some, very few, or none?"
		%
	Many	8
	Only some	33
	Very few	41
	None	11
	Don't know	7
					.
"Earlier this year, the governor of Illinois suspended all executions in that state because he said a number of errors had been made in sentencing people to die and he wanted to make sure no innocent people were executed. Do you think other states should suspend executions or should they continue?"
		%
	Should suspend	37
	Should continue	50
	Don't know	13
					.
"In general, do you think states should make it easier for Death Row inmates to introduce new evidence that might prove their innocence, even if that might result in delays in the death penalty process?"
		%
	Should make it easier	82
	Should not	12
	Don't know	6
					.
"New and more sophisticated DNA testing is now available that might help prove the innocence of some current Death Row inmates. Do you think that states should permit DNA testing in all cases where it might prove a person's guilt or innocence?"
		%
	Yes	95
	No	3
	Don't know	2
					.
"Do you think that the federal government should REQUIRE states to permit DNA testing in all cases where it might prove a person's guilt or innocence?"
		%
	Yes	88
	No	9
	Don't know	2

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Assoc. April 12-16, 2000. N=1,000 adults nationwide.
						.
"Now, I am going to read you some things that might be done to reduce violent crime in this country. As I read each one, please tell me if you think it would reduce the amount of violent crime a lot, a little, or not at all. Do you think [see below] would reduce the amount of violent crime a lot, a little, or not at all?" Each item asked of half the sample.
			A Lot	A Little	Not At All	Unsure
			%	%	%	%
	"More job and community programs for young people"
			63	29	7	1
						.
	"Longer jail terms for those convicted of violent crimes"
			49	33	15	3
						.
	"Restrictions on the amount of violence shown on TV"
			48	37	14	1
						.
	"More police on the streets"		46	45	7	2
						.
	"Stricter gun control laws"		41	33	24	2
						.
"In general, how safe would you say you and your family are from crime at each of the following locations? [See below], are you and your family very safe, somewhat safe, not too safe, or not at all safe from crime?"
		Very	Some- what	Not Too	Not At All	Doesn't Apply (vol.)/ Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"At home at night"	67	28	4	1	-
						.
	"When walking in your neighborhood after dark"
		49	33	8	5	5
						.
	"At school"	33	36	9	3	19
						.
	"When at a shopping mall at night"
		22	49	16	6	7
						.
"In the past 12 months, have you or your family, or has someone else in your neighborhood, had money or property stolen?"
				%
	Yes -- self or family			11		.
	Yes -- someone else in neighborhood			12
	No			76
	Unsure			1
						.
"In the past 12 months, have you or your family, or has someone else in your neighborhood, been physically assaulted or mugged?"
				%
	Yes -- self or family			2		.
	Yes -- someone else in neighborhood			4
	No			93

Gallup Poll. Sept. 24-Nov. 16, 1999. N=2,006 adults nationwide (MoE ą 4), including, with an oversample, 1,001 blacks (MoE +/- 5) and 934 whites (MoE ą 4).
					.
		ALL	Blacks	Whites
		%	%	%
"Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of your local police?"
	Favorable	81	58	85
	Unfavorable	17	36	13
	Don't know/Refused	2	6	2
					.
"Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of state police or state troopers in your area?"
	Favorable	83	64	87
	Unfavorable	11	26	8
	Don't know/Refused	6	10	5
					.
"Do you feel you are treated fairly by each of the following or not?
					.
	"The local police in your area"
	Fairly	87	66	91
	Not fairly	10	27	7
	Not applicable (vol.)	3	5	2
	Don't know/Refused	-	2	-
					.
	"The state police or state troopers in your state"
	Fairly	86	69	89
	Not fairly	6	17	4
	Not applicable (vol.)	6	10	6
	Don't know/Refused	2	4	1
					.
	"The state police or state troopers in other states you travel through"
	Fairly	74	55	78
	Not fairly	11	24	8
	Not applicable (vol.)	13	18	12
	Don't know/Refused	2	3	2
					.
"It has been reported that some police officers stop motorists of certain racial or ethnic groups because the officers believe that these groups are more likely than others to commit certain types of crimes. Do you believe that this practice, known as 'racial profiling,' is widespread, or not?"
	Is widespread	59	77	56
	Is not widespread	34	16	38
	Don't know/Refused	7	7	6
					.
"Do you approve or disapprove of the use of 'racial profiling' by police?"
	Approve	14	9	15
	Disapprove	81	87	80
	Don't know/Refused	5	4	5
					.
"Have you ever felt that you were stopped by the police just because of your race or ethnic background?"
	Yes	11	42	6
	No	89	57	94
	Don't know/Refused	-	1	-
					.
	Asked of those who answered "Yes" to the question above: "How many times do you feel this has happened to you in your lifetime?"
	1	17	14	22
	2	20	13	31
	3	13	17	3
	4	9	12	7
	5	9	11	7
	6-10	16	15	17
	11-25	9	9	13
	26 or more	6	6	-
	Don't know/Refused	1	3	-

*CNN/Time* Poll** conducted by Yankelovich Partners. July 14-15, 1999. N=1,017 adults nationwide.
			.
"Do you think there should be stiffer penalties for violent crimes when they are committed in front of a child, or don't you think so?"
		%
	Should be stiffer penalties	81
	Don't think so	15
	Not sure	4
			.
"Do you think there should be stiffer penalties for fraud when it is committed against the elderly, or don't you think so?"
		%
	Should be stiffer penalties	81
	Don't think so	15
	Not sure	4

The Harris Poll. March 19-23, 1999. N=1,008 adults nationwide.
						.
"How would you rate the police in your community on the following [see below]: excellent, pretty good, only fair or poor?"
		Excel- lent	Pretty Good	Only Fair	Poor	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	"Being helpful and friendly"	32	36	21	9	2
	"Not using excessive force"	28	40	18	9	5
	"Responding quickly to calls for help and assistance"	27	41	16	10	5
	"Treating people fairly"	25	40	20	11	3
	"Preventing crime"	21	44	24	10	2
	"Solving crime"	17	43	26	11	3
						.
		ALL	Whites	Blacks	Hispanics
		%	%	%	%
"Do you think the police in your community treat all races fairly or do they tend to treat one or more of these groups unfairly?"
	All races fairly	59	67	30	48
	One or more groups unfairly	33	25	63	52
	Don't know/Refused	8	7	7	-
						.
"Do you think that police brutality against blacks and Hispanics in your community happens often, occasionally or never?"
	Often	8	3	27	19
	Occasionally	47	46	52	44
	Never	38	43	17	34
	Don't know/Refused	6	7	3	4
						.
"Are you sometimes afraid that the police will stop and arrest you when you are completely innocent, or not?"
	Yes	22	16	43	28
	No	78	84	56	72
	Don't know	1	1	1	-

Gallup Poll. March 5-7, 1999. N=1,021 adults nationwide.
						.
"How much respect do you have for the police in your area: a great deal, some, or hardly any?"
		3/99	3/91	1967	1965
		%	%	%	%
	A great deal	64	60	77	70
	Some	29	32	17	22
	Hardly any	7	7	4	4
	No opinion	-	1	2	4	.
						.
"How much confidence do you have in the ability of the police to protect you from violent crime: a great deal, quite a lot, not very much, or none at all?"
		3/99	9/95	10/93	1989	1981
		%	%	%	%	%
	A great deal	29	20	14	14	15
	Quite lot	41	30	31	34	34
	Not very much	25	39	45	42	42
	None at all	4	9	9	8	8
	No opinion	1	2	1	2	1
						.
"In general, how would you rate the job the police in your city are doing in dealing with crime: an excellent job, a good job, or only a fair job?"
		3/99	2/93
		%	%
	Excellent	30	19
	Good	48	52
	Only fair	21	27
	No opinion	1	2
						.
"Have you personally ever felt treated unfairly by the police or by a police officer?"
		ALL	Whites	Blacks
		%	%	%
	Yes	27	24	43
	No	73	76	57
						.
"Some people feel that the job police officers perform is so difficult and important that it is wrong to second-guess them by prosecuting or punishing them for wrongdoing which occurs in the course of their job performance. Would you agree or disagree that it is wrong to prosecute and punish police officers?"
		3/99	2/93
		%	%
	Agree	17	18
	Disagree	80	76
	No opinion	3	6
						.
"In some places in the nation, there have been charges of police brutality. Do you think there is any police brutality in your area, or not?"
		3/99	7/91	3/91	1967	1965
		%	%	%	%	%
	Yes	38	39	35	6	9
	No	57	56	60	81	79
	No opinion	5	5	5	13	12
						.
"Do you think that police officers in your area use their guns too frequently, not frequently enough, or about right?"
		%
	Too frequently	8
	Not frequently enough	8
	About right	80
	No opinion	4

*CNN/Time* Poll** conducted by Yankelovich Partners. Dec. 17-18, 1998. N=1,031 adults nationwide.
			.
"Do you think the police should or should not be allowed to collect DNA information from suspected criminals, similar to how they take fingerprints?"
		%
	Should	66
	Should not	29
	Not sure	5
			.
"Do you think it is a good idea or a bad idea for the FBI to create a DNA database by collecting DNA information from suspected criminals and crime scenes throughout the country?"
		%
	Good idea	71
	Bad idea	24
	Not sure	5

Gallup/CNN/USA Today Poll. Oct. 23-25, 1998. N=1,013 adults nationwide.
			.	.
"Overall, do you feel more threatened or less threatened by crime today than you did five years ago?"
		%
	More	47
	Less	41
	Same (vol.)	11
	No opinion	1

HOME | TABLE OF CONTENTS | SEARCH THE SITECopyright Š 2020 POLLING REPORT, INC., and polling/sponsoring organizations