ABSTRACT

Determinants of the Death Penalty seeks to explain the phenomenon of capital punishment - without recourse to value judgements - by identifying those characteristics common to countries that use the death penalty and those that mark countries which do not. This global study uses statistical analysis to relate the popularity of the death penalty to physical, cultural, social, economical, institutional, actor oriented and historical factors. Separate studies are conducted for democracies and non-democracies and within four regional contexts. The book also contains an in-depth investigation into determinants of the death penalty in the USA.

chapter 1|23 pages

Mapping the death penalty

chapter 2|66 pages

Explaining the death penalty

chapter 3|49 pages

Contextual patterns

chapter 4|26 pages

The death penalty in the USA

chapter 5|14 pages

Determinants of the death penalty