Profiles of Death Penalty Attitudes: A Latent Class Approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives This study examines the heterogeneity in the demographic, normative, and experiential features of those who support, oppose, and are undecided on capital punishment to determine the complexity of characteristics that exist beyond the “averages.” This study also evaluates macro-level changes in death penalty supporter, opposer, and undecided sub-types in the U.S. over time. Methods Drawing upon national trend data from the General Social Survey (1972–2016), a series of Latent Class Analyses (LCA) are employed to identify the number, size, and compositional profile of emergent subtypes of supporters, opposers, and undecideds on the death penalty. We also examine variation in the size and relative distribution of these latent classes over five decades. Results Substantial heterogeneity among death penalty supporters and opposers was found, yielding nine and seven distinct sub-types of each, respectively. Two unique sub-types of undecideds were also uncovered. Conclusion Variation in the composition and size of these latent classes over time provides important insights into the variation in death penalty support over the past 50 years. This is the first study of which we are aware to employ an LCA to national trend data of public opinion toward the death penalty across multiple decades in the United States.