The death penalty is imposed to provide justice as well as deter homicide and bring down the crime rate. However, evidence and research cannot provide any consensus which agrees that the crime rate goes down, or it increases with the imposition or non-imposition of the death penalty (D. Vergano, 2012). Therefore in order to determine the correctness of the gathered research, a study will be dedicated to finding out whether the death penalty deters homicide or not. The relation between the death penalty and the homicide rate is found on several variables and surveys which are analyzed, and data from these are qualitatively and quantitatively collected to form an informed opinion. Using both the forms will put an in-depth analysis to work as the death penalty is not just a matter of opinion but it is also related to the emotional, sentimental and incidental rate of occurrence of homicide that will eventually determine the limitation of deterrence.
There are several aspects to be kept in mind when choosing the participants. America is a diverse and multiethnic and multiracial country. Moreover, the crime rate greatly varies from State to State, and the point of view of the people varies from one another living in the same State, carrying the same experiences. Hence, the participants will be people chosen from nearly all races in the country, white, Latinos, African Americans and any other minorities that might be interested in participating. Moreover, participants will also be chosen from the political spheres of the governmental system, such as senators from the Democrats, the Republicans, the Independents, Liberals, and Conservatives. Divisions will also be chosen on the basis of the regions in the country like the Western, Eastern, Central, Northern and Southern. People belonging to States notorious for high crime rates will also be noted, for example, New York City has a high crime rate and the general public there might have a biased view or attitude regarding the reduction in crime rate. Therefore, participants will be divided so that a regional aspect of the survey can be obtained which will help to determine the real answer.
The methodology will involve a survey to discover what the general public thinks of the death penalty and its deterrent effects on reducing the crime rate. The survey will make use of qualitative and quantitative approaches that will employ both the methods turn by turn and then help to reach a conclusion.
The questions that will be assembled for the survey will be of qualitative nature, thereby helping in elaborating the various aspects of the death penalty and what it means to the people. Making the research qualitative will actually probe into questions which are needed to be asked and it will help to broaden the horizon of the research. Also, the qualitative approach will ask questions that are going to relate to the different people that are going to be questioned in the research (Nagin and Pepper, 2012). As proposed, the crime rates in different areas are going to fluctuate in amount and the people filling out the forms. The questions will also be generic relating to their areas and how the crime rate has gone up or decreased because of the imposition of the death penalty (Donohue and Wolfers, 2006).
The scope of the qualitative research will be to calculate what people, belonging to which ethnicity and racial background believe in their respective views. Same goes for the political aspect of the debate where the notion of political agreement on the deterrence caused by death penalty will be gauged. Moreover, there are other variables too such as time frame of reduction, recent trends in crimes, especially homicide and how does it affect the people and safety will also be derived from the research. Regional differences in opinion will also be derived from the research as the survey will be sent to people residing in different areas, and their opinions will be gathered accordingly (Fagan, 2005).
Data collection will be the quantitative part of the research where the entire samples of the research will be tabulated in the percentage form. It will be done by deriving percentages by dividing the number of answers similar to one question by one ethnicity or one political person and dividing it by the total number of people and multiplying it will 100. Percentages will be easier to use and apply when trying to explain the deterrence and effects in a brief yet comprehensive manner and they will also be easier to understand (Berk, 2005).
There are certain survey/research questions that will be asked pertaining to the question. Firstly, it will ask if in the opinion of the person, is the death penalty a just and useful punishment to be administered. They would be asked if the death penalty is abolished, do they expect the crime rate to drop. These will be Yes/No questions; also, most of the survey will be answering close ended questions. Next, it will ask a person to tick over their ethnicity or racial background, their names not being asked and otherwise, their identity being kept anonymous. Then they will be asked if the fear of the death penalty prevented them from committing murder. How far homicide is common in their ethnicity or how often are people of their ethnicity convicted or charged with murder. If the death penalty was completely banned, then would the rate of homicide go down? What is more frightening to imagine; sentenced to live in prison or the death penalty? Is the death penalty a purposeful punishment? If the death penalty is abolished, will people refrain from committing homicide? Is the death penalty a deterrent for homicide in the region you belong you? Are there any other crimes for which the death penalty needs to exist?
These questions can help to provide data relevant to different opinions, providing concrete opinions and also answering where the death penalty will be needed the most and what regions benefit from it. The survey will categorize and exemplify public opinion and give a decisive answer.
References
Berk, R. (2005). New Claims about Executions and General Deterrence: Deja Vu All Over Again? J Empirical Legal Studies Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 2(2), 303-330.
Nagin, D. S., & Pepper, J. V. (Eds.). (2012). Deterrence and the death penalty. National Academies Press.
D. Vergano, "NRC: Death penalty effect research 'fundamentally flawed'," USA Today, April 18, 2012). Read the NRC's Report Brief (4 pages).
Donohue, J., &Wolfers, J. J. (2006). The Death Penalty: No Evidence for Deterrence. The
Economists' Voice, 3(5).
Fagan, J. (2005, July 14). Public Policy Choices on Deterrence and the Death Penalty: A
Retrieved February 25, 2016
