William Tucker

In the following viewpoint, William Tucker contends that the death penalty deters crime and therefore should not be abolished. He cites studies that found that as the execution rate increased, the homicide rate decreased. In addition, states that impose capital punishment have lower homicide rates than states that do not have the death penalty—and the homicide rate continues to decline as the number of executed murderers increases. He concludes that the death penalty is a successful social policy that achieves its desired results. Tucker is a freelance writer in New York.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What happened to the U.S. homicide rate between 1963 and 1972, two years after the death penalty was abolished, according to Tucker?
2. What three categories should states be placed into regarding the death penalty, in the author...