Gallup’s 2017 poll measured support for the death penalty in America at its lowest point in 45 years, continuing a trend toward diminished death penalty support in the United States.
In a nationwide survey conducted earlier this month, 55 percent of Americans said they are in favor of the death penalty for people convicted of murder — down from 60 percent last year.
The 2017 results from Gallup are 25 percentage points below the peak of 80 percent of Americans who said they supported the death penalty in 1994.
Support for capital punishment among Republicans has dropped by 10 percentage points since October 2016.
Among Democrats, death penalty support has declined by 26 points since 2002.
The poll also reported opposition to the death penalty at its highest level (41 percent) since 1966, when 47 percent of respondents said they opposed capital punishment.