Most Americans favor the death penalty

Plus, electric vehicles, broadband use and news media "bubbles" June 5, 2021 Weekly Roundup The latest findings from Pew Research Center · Subscribe ↗ Most Americans favor the death penalty despite concerns about its administration Six-in-ten U.S. adults favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, including 27% who strongly favor it. About four-in-ten (39%) oppose it, with 15% strongly opposed. Support is strongly associated with a belief that when someone commits murder, the death penalty is morally justified. At the same time, 78% of U.S. adults say there is some risk an innocent person will be put to death, and 63% say the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes. Death penalty draws more Americans’ support online than in telephone surveys Sign up for our monthly politics newsletter Mobile technology and home broadband 2021 Smartphone ownership and home broadband adoption are up slightly since 2019, with 91% of U.S. adults reporting they have at least one of these technologies. But about a quarter of the population still does not have a broadband internet connection, and 30% say they at least sometimes experience problems connecting to the internet at home. Broadband non-adopters continue to cite financial constraints as one of the most important reasons why they forgo these services. 34% of lower-income home broadband users have had trouble paying for their service amid COVID-19 Electric vehicles get mixed reception from American consumers About four-in-ten Americans (39%) say they are at least somewhat likely to consider buying electric the next time they purchase a vehicle, while 46% say they are not too or not at all likely to consider this. Two-thirds of Americans think electric vehicles are better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles, but a similar share says they cost more. Gen Z, Millennials stand out for climate change activism, social media engagement with issue Americans in news media ‘bubbles’ think differently about foreign policy than others Republicans whose only major sources of political news are outlets with right-leaning audiences tend to be less open to international cooperation – and to have different foreign policy priorities – than other Republicans. Similarly, Democrats who only rely on sources with left-leaning audiences stand apart from other Democrats, including by placing a higher priority on multilateralism and addressing global climate change. 10 facts about Americans and Facebook Decoded: Improving the way we categorize family income From our research 15% The share of U.S. adults who are “smartphone-only” internet users – that is, they have a smartphone, but do not have a home broadband connection. Support Pew Research Center In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. Please support Pew Research Center with a contribution on the Center's behalf to our parent organization, The Pew Charitable Trusts. DONATE Newsletter preferences View in browser Unsubscribe Facebook Twitter Instagram Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank. As a neutral source of data and analysis, Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. © 2021 Pew Research Center