USA - The Gallup Poll’s latest national survey of American opinion on the death penalty found that support for capital punishment dropped by 5 percentage points from 2007

The Gallup Poll’s latest national survey of American opinion on the death penalty found that support for capital punishment dropped by 5 percentage points from 2007, down to 64% support from 69% last year. The pecentage of those opposing capital punishment rose from 27% to 30%. This poll reflects that support for the death penalty is equal to the lowest level in the Gallup Polls during the past 30 years.  Support had reached a high of 80% in 1994. The last time Gallup asked respondents about alternatives (which would be a better punishment for murder, the death penalty or life in prison with absolutely no possibility of parole) was in 2006. In that poll, more people supported life in prison without parole (48%) than supported the death penalty (47%). (Gallup Poll, 2008 Oct 3-5, more data at: www.gallup.com/poll/1606/Death-Penalty.aspx)