The Unusualness of Capital Punishment

Abstract:     
From the short view, this is not a joyous period for opponents of the death penalty. From the long view, however, there is a chance that this new chapter could prove brighter for the abolitionist cause. There are reasons to think so, and this paper explores them. There is a tremendous amount of public criticism of capital punishment these days — some would say an unprecedented amount. Calling attention to the fallibility of the system is the opening wedge of the critique, but its deepest and broadest cuts strike at a different point: the extraordinary unusualness of the death penalty as practiced in America.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 24

Keywords: capital punishment, unusual, Eighth Amendment

JEL Classification: K14, K19, K42, K49

Accepted Paper Series