The elite and popular democratic debate extends over so many aspects of American life. It also extends over American death, in that it has a great impact on the current and past standing of the use of the death penalty in this country. Elite democrats argue that the death penalty is an ineffective and costly tool of the masses, whereas popular democrats propose that it is the only effective punishment for capital crimes. The effective solution to administering the death penalty which both sides would probably more likely come to a consensus on is to spend more money on invesitgations, trials, and appeals thereby preventing as many chances for error as possible and by eliminating the race differences so they are reflected proportionately.
From the history in America to it's current standing as a constant debate in both federal and local governments, some kind of reform must be reached whereby both political viewpoints can come to some form of an agreement as to its application due to the fact that it does not appear likely to be abolished any time in the near future. The current problems are accurately reflected. It does currently cost more (from trial to execution) to execute someone than to imprison them for life. It has also not been able to effectively deter crime in America. So who's right?.
In early American colonial times, the death penalty was the punishment for numerous crimes. These crimes included such things as "cursing, witchcraft, adultery, praying to false idols, lying under oath, and other more serious offenses such as rape, kidnapping, and murder (Gottfried, 1997, p.15)." In 1682, Pennsylvania declared the Great Act, which stated that only murder and treason warrant the death penalty. Other colonies declared that no act could use the death penalty as a punishment. .
Dr. Benjamin Rush, once the treasurer of the United States, influenced others in his belief that the death penalty should not be used.
