ISSUE GUIDES: Crime

PUBLIC VIEW: BILLS & PROPOSALS
  • Americans are divided on what should be the top priority for dealing with crime, but three-quarters say they prefer their...
  • Three-quarters of American say mandatory prison sentences are a good idea for violent crimes, and more than half say judges...
  • Two-thirds of Americans say they favor the death penalty for murderers, but when given the choice of life without parole...
  • Support for the death penalty has fluctuated since the 1970s, but most Americans are consistently in favor of it
  • Six in 10 Americans say the death penalty does not act as a deterrent to murder
  • Half of Americans say the death penalty is not imposed enough, but most believe that at least one innocent person has been...
  • Responses to whether there should be a moratorium on the death penalty vary with question wording
  • Most Americans say they favor stricter gun control, but most prefer stricter enforcement of existing laws rather than the...
  • Americans are divided on whether stricter gun control laws would reduce violent crime, with men more doubtful than women
  • Most Americans support a ban on the sale of assault weapons, while most oppose a ban on the sale of handguns
  • Six in 10 Americans say it's more important to control gun ownership than to protect the right of Americans to own guns
  • Two-thirds of Americans say they favor new regulations to limit children's exposure to TV violence, but overwhelming...
  • Three-quarters of Americans favor laws allowing prosecution of hate crimes committed on the basis of the victim's race...