Assignment 1

To begin an understanding of why the social movement to abolish the death penalty began lets trace back to the early 5th Century B.C. when death penalty meant that you could be crucified, burnt alive, beaten to death, boiled, or impaled. As ages passed society began to implement less barbaric punishment such as decapitation, hanging, electric chair, the gas chamber, and now lethal injection. In the United States the social movement for the abolition of the death penalty began in the late 1700 century, although the roots of this movement began with people like Voltaire, John Bellers, and Cesare Beccaria’s from the famous essay, On Crimes and Punishment. As the social movement against the death penalty gained popularity in the early 1800’s many states began to reduce the number of capital punishment for which individuals could be executed. In 1838 the first state to use discretion in an execution was enacted by Tennessee.

One of the key events that affected the progress of the social movement to abolish the death penalty in the United States was the progressive period from 1907 to 1917. During this period six States completely abolished the death penalty and three other States limited the crimes to which individuals could be sentenced to death. During the progressive period there was an effort to remove moral wrong from society, one which was the death penalty. This period was aimed at improving society, removing corruption, and solving problems by establishing fairness and equality, not just in the movement against the death penalty but among other issues.

Another key event that affected the progress of the social movement to abolish the death penalty was the 1958 Supreme Court case Trop v. Dulles. In this case the Supreme Court decided that the Eighth Amendment stated that as societies mature and evolve a standard of decency should be met. As a result, in later years the death penalty was seen by many as cruel and unusual. Society needed to change and evolve and set new standards of decency and that meant that society needed to get away from implementing the death penalty as a source of punishment. In another case known as the Furman v. Georgia, it was presented that capital punishment resulted in subjective and unreliable sentencing. It was also presented that under the Eighth Amendment capital punishment was cruel and unusual. As a result in 1972 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Furman and stated that if a jury is given complete discretion over sentencing capital cases it meant that it could result in arbitrary sentencing and therefore could be constituted as cruel and unusual punishment.

A third key event that affected the progress of the social movement to abolish the death penalty was the creation of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) in 1976. This coalition was created in response to the decision made by the Supreme Court case Gregg v. Georgia, which allowed States to continue to carry out executions. The (NCADP) consists of advocates dedicated to abolish the death penalty not just in the United States but around the world. The creation of the (NCADP) has been leading the fight to abolish the death penalty. They have recently accomplished ending the death penalty against juveniles in the United States and combating reinstatement efforts by the State of Wisconsin to resurrect the death penalty.

Using mass society theory, the social movement of the death penalty might be described as a movement of individuals who lost hope in the system of justice. This movement likely ascended from a lost of confidence in the judicial system to carry out fair and just punishment. As there were no other establishments for groups of individuals to raise their voices from, the establishment of the social movement to abolish the death penalty was created in order for individuals to find a voice where their opinions and concerns could be herd.

Using rational approaches such as resource mobilization and political process theory the social movement of the death penalty might be described as an organized movement consisting of formal organizations such as the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. These organizations have the ability to mobilize the movement forward by raising money, by using resources available to them, by appealing to influential leaders/groups, and by demanding change through laws and policies.

Using cultural and emotional approaches, the social movement of the death penalty might be described as a movement that consists of the idea that capital punishment is cruel and unusual. This belief wants everyone to recognize that we as a society have evolved to be civil and punishments such as the death penalty are barbaric. It is imperative that the movement creates the image that capital punishment is brutal, vicious, and unreliable as it is one of the bases that drives the social movement forward.

The best explanation that seems to explain the social movement of the death penalty is both the rational and cultural/emotional approach. First, individuals need to create the image that the death penalty is cruel, unusual, and unreliable. Once this is established in order for the movement to continue and grow it needs to organize, find resources, raise money, and appeal to others. In today’s society the social movement to abolish the death penalty has all these elements and that is why it continues to be a movement that might not ever end until the death penalty is completely abolished.