Ideology_social_threat_and_the.PDF

Ideology, Social Threat, and the Death Sentence

Abstract

• Capital punishment is the most severe criminal penalty, yet factors influencing jurisdictional differences in its use are not well understood.

• Political explanations focus on conservative values and influence of conservative political parties.

• Threat accounts suggest higher likelihood of death sentences in jurisdictions with larger minority populations.

• Key Findings:

  • Death sentences are more probable in states with greater membership in conservative churches and higher violent crime rates.

  • Political conservatism and Republican party strength explain death sentence use but not frequency beyond one.

• Strong public ideologies influence the implementation of harsh criminal punishments.

Political Influence on Death Sentences

• Current legal sanctions, particularly the death penalty, may reflect broader political phenomena.

• A neglect of political determinants across jurisdictions affects the comprehension of death sentencing.

• Jurisdictions vary significantly in their propensity to apply capital punishment influenced by contextual factors.

Variables Investigated

1. Political and Religious Beliefs

   • Emphasis on conservative values shaped public attitudes toward crime and justice.

   • Historical views suggest that the criminal law has been used by dominant groups to protect societal order.

2. Racial Threat Theory

   • Larger minority populations are perceived as threats leading to harsher criminal sanctions.

   • Ethnocentric majority beliefs assert dominant groups react politically against perceived threats from minorities.

3. Economic Factors

   • Inquiry into unemployment's impact on punitive measures.

   • Higher unemployment could lead to pressure for harsher punishments from the prosperous class.

4. Violent Crime Rates

   • Jurisdictions with higher violent crime rates likely to impose death sentences due to public demands.

Theoretical Perspectives

Political Perspectives on Death Sentences

• Three perspectives analyzed:

  • Public Values: The likelihood of death sentences aligns with areas where conservative ideologies dominate.

  • External Forces: The presence of powerful groups influencing state behavior, especially around minority-majority dynamics.

  • Partisan Strategies: Partisan interests can shape the political landscape surrounding the death penalty, particularly among Republican lawmakers.

Religious Influence

• Historical context illustrates that religion significantly affects punishment views, especially among Protestants who often align with more severe penalties.

• Areas with strong fundamentalist religious communities are prone to greater support for capital punishment.

Racial Threat Effects

• Racial and ethnic divisions in the U.S. have historically influenced punitive practices.

• Jurisdictions with significant African American populations are hypothesized to have higher death sentences due to perceived threats.

• Nonlinear relationships between minority population sizes and death sentence outcomes explored.

Findings from Models

• Multivariate analysis suggests:

  • Ln religious fundamentalism and violent crime rates predict higher numbers of death sentences.

  • No significant link found between African American or Hispanic populations and the count of death sentences.

  • Republican governance positively correlates with death sentences, especially in politically conservative areas.

Conclusion

• The study supports the assertion that criminal punishments, including the death penalty, are closely tied to public ideologies, political conservatism, and perceptions of social threat.

• Public ideologies play a critical role in shaping attitudes toward the implementation of capital punishment, relating it more directly to how courts operate in response to societal demands and political climates.

Jacobs, David, and Jason T. Carmichael. "Ideology, social threat, and the death sentence: capital sentences across time and space *." Social Forces, vol. 83, no. 1, Sept. 2004, pp. 249+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A124075860/AONE?u=j220918001&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=918fb327. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.