Politics, rules, and death row: Why states eschew or execute executions

Objective. Previous research has examined the connection between politics, race, and death sentencing, but either has overlooked the implementation of the sentence, or has omitted the influence of the heinousness of the crime on execution decisions. This research examines the impact of these and oth er factors on executions, given the number of people on death row. Methods. The study uses data from 1977-92 on all states with a death row. The unit of analysis is the state, by year. A Poisson regression estimates the impac t on number of executions of the number on death row, race of offender, rac e/gender of victim, heinousness of crime, public opinion, black economic an d political power, and various state/federal efforts to restrict death row appeals. Results. Over several measurements and methods, the results show t hat, during the period of study, executions are not likely. They are more f requent when there are more on death row, when the crime is more heinous, a nd when the victims are white. Conclusions. That heinousness of the crime m akes executions more likely is not a capricious characteristic of death pen alty implementation, but the finding that race of victim also matters raise s questions about due process.