American Exceptionalism in Crime and Punishment (AECP) & Capital Punishment Overview

A set of Q&A flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on American exceptionalism in crime and punishment, capital punishment data, methods, public opinion, and Amnesty International reports.

What does AECP stand for in Kevin R. Reitz's discussion on crime and punishment?

American exceptionalism in crime and punishment.

What are the two subjects the AECP conversation usually narrows to?

High incarceration rates and the death penalty.

Beyond incarceration and the death penalty, which other areas does AECP include?

Probation, parole, economic sanctions, and collateral consequences of conviction.

According to Reitz, what factors should causation analyses reach back to when examining U.S. crime rates and punitive severity?

Gun ownership rates, income inequality, and conditions in America's most disadvantaged neighborhoods.

What concept describes the idea that crime rates and punitive severity may influence each other?

Two-way causation.

How has death penalty policy varied between most European countries (and many in South/Central America) compared to the U.S.?

Most have abolished the death penalty in full or in practice.

According to Amnesty International, how many executions were carried out in 2015 (excluding China), in how many countries, and which three countries accounted for about 90%?

More than 1,600 executions in 25 countries, with Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia accounting for about 90%.

What percentage of the world's countries retain the death penalty?

About 30 percent.

List the common methods of execution noted in the materials.

Beheading, Electrocution, Hanging, Lethal Injection, and Shooting.

Which country is given as an example for Beheading?

Saudi Arabia.

Which country is given as an example for Electrocution?

United States.

Which countries are given as examples for Hanging?

Bangladesh, Botswana, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, South Sudan, and Syria.

Which countries are given as examples for Lethal Injection?

China, United States, and Vietnam.

Which countries are given as examples for Shooting?

China, Iran, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Taiwan, and Yemen.

In 2016, which country had the lowest number of executions and death sentences recorded since 1991 and 1973 respectively?

The United States.

What is the Amnesty International map caution about executing countries in 2016?

The map indicates general locations and should not be interpreted as Amnesty International's view on disputed territories; the '+' sign indicates minimum figures.

What does the 'Execution Fact Sheet' link provide a path to?

A downloadable fact sheet with execution data at dpic-cdn.org/production/documents/pdf/FactSheet.pdf.

How many executions were reported in 2015 by Amnesty International (excluding China), and which three countries accounted for about 90%?

More than 1,600 executions in 25 countries; Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia accounted for about 90%.

What is the approximate range of current public support for the death penalty in the United States, according to the notes?

Around 60-65%.

Which organization conducted the poll on Americans' views of the death penalty shown in the notes?

Gallup.

What year did public opinion about the death penalty peak at 80% support, according to the notes?

1994.

Where can you find a state-by-state death penalty status resource mentioned in the notes?

deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state