Abstract
The deterrent effect of criminal law is dependent upon communication to the public of the threat and application of sanctions. I test this argument for murder and capital punishment by examining monthly homicide rates and television publicity devoted to executions from 1976 through 1987. Despite the power of television as a source of news in the United States, the results of this study do not support either the deterrence argument, which contends that capital punishment reduces killings, or the brutalization argument, which contends that capital punishment promotes killings. Homicide rates were not found to be related to either the amount or the type of execution publicity over the period. (abstract Adapted from Source: American Sociological Review, 1990. Copyright © 1990 by the American Sociological Association) Homicide Rates Capital Punishment Television News Deterrence 1970s 1980s 10-99
Published Version
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