What is the best argument for the death penalty?
Asked by: Ms. Jewel Dach III | Last update: February 16, 2026Score: 4.4/5 (5 votes)
The strongest arguments for the death penalty center on retribution (justice for heinous crimes), ensuring the offender can never harm again (incapacitation), and the belief in deterrence, though deterrence's effectiveness is debated; supporters argue it provides proportional justice for the worst crimes and offers victims' families closure, while critics question its morality and effectiveness, pointing to lack of conclusive deterrent evidence.
What are the best arguments for the death penalty?
Arguments for and Against the Death Penalty
- Deterrence. The death penalty deters future murders.
- Retribution. A just society requires the taking of a life for a life.
- Innocence. The risk of executing the innocent precludes the use of the death penalty.
- Arbitrariness & Discrimination.
What are good questions about the death penalty?
Answering your questions on the death penalty
- What makes the life of a murderer more valuable than his or her victim's?
- Why do you say the death penalty doesn't deliver justice?
- Why should we pay to keep serious criminals alive in prison?
- Why should business leaders get involved in abolishing the death penalty?
How to start an argumentative essay about the death penalty?
When writing an introduction on the death penalty, start with an attention-grabbing element such as an anecdote, statistic, or rhetorical question to engage readers. Clearly state your position or the main points you will address, depending on whether the essay is persuasive or informational.
What is the moral argument of the death penalty?
The moral defense of the death penalty is the principle of justice. In the case of premeditated murder, capital punishment is the only just punishment: It is the only punishment roughly proportionate to the harm that has been done to the murder victim.
The Death Penalty Debate
What are the pros and cons of the death penalty?
Pros and cons of using the death penalty
- Pro: public support. ...
- Con: wrongful execution risk. ...
- Pro: could reduce crime. ...
- Con: not a deterrent. ...
- Pro: sense of retribution.
Why is the death penalty not cruel?
(3) The death penalty is currently constitutional because it is a traditional punishment that has never fallen out of usage. If it fell out of usage for multiple generations, however, it might become cruel and unusual.
Why do people argue against the death penalty?
Join the movement against the death penalty
The death penalty is a blatant violation of human rights. The death penalty is an ineffective punishment. The death penalty does not bring closure or healing to victims' families. The death penalty is applied unfairly.
How do you start a good argumentative essay?
In form, it follows a direct and logical path:
- 1 Introduce the problem.
- 2 Explain your perspective.
- 3 Explain your opponent's perspective. ...
- 4 Present your evidence.
- 5 Conclude your argument.
- 1 Introduce the problem.
- 2 Explain your opponent's perspective first. ...
- 3 Explain your perspective.
Does the death penalty reduce crime?
Studies find no meaningful evidence that use of the death penalty deters crime.
What are 5 facts about the death penalty?
10 Facts About The Death Penalty
- #1. The crimes punishable by death vary significantly through the years. ...
- #2. Historically, the death penalty was different depending on your social status. ...
- #3. Methods for execution vary. ...
- #4. Venezuela was the first country to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. ...
- #5. ...
- #6. ...
- #7. ...
- #8.
What are good questions to ask about death?
6 Questions a Death Doula May Ask
- What sounds would you like to hear during your dying process? ...
- What is a memory that brings you strength, or showed you your own strength? ...
- If you died today, what would you want your epitaph to be? ...
- Is there something you've always wondered or wanted to ask, but didn't?
Which country has no death penalty?
DENMARK abolished the death penalty for all crimes. LUXEMBOURG, NICARAGUA, and NORWAY abolished the death penalty for all crimes. BRAZIL, FIJI, and PERU abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes.
What are the 5 reasons for punishment?
The five justifications for punishment are retribution, deterrence (specific and general), incapacitation, rehabilitation, and restoration, which aim to deliver deserved punishment, prevent future crimes, protect society, reform offenders, and repair harm, often overlapping in practice.
What is the biggest issue with the death penalty?
Death Penalty Issues
- The Death Penalty Is Costly. ...
- Governments Often Fail to Compensate Exonerees. ...
- The Death Penalty Violate the Rights of Children of People Who Are Sentenced to Death. ...
- Detention Conditions on Death Row Are Cruel and Inhuman. ...
- People Face Obstacles Exercising Their Right to Appeal a Death Sentence.
What are three reasons the death penalty should be abolished?
Abolishing the death penalty can put an end to the historical trauma, should save the states millions of dollars depending on their lethal method, limit race being a contributing factor in a court's decisions, ensure that innocent people will not be executed, and should not increase crime rates.
How to get an A+ on an essay?
To get an A+ on an essay, you need a strong, clear thesis, solid evidence, critical analysis that connects evidence to the thesis, and impeccable structure, flow, and grammar, all while meticulously following the assignment prompt and proofreading thoroughly. Start by understanding the assignment, researching well, outlining logically, and crafting a compelling intro/conclusion, then refine with editing and feedback to demonstrate deep thinking and clear communication.
What's a good argument topic?
Good argument topics cover technology (social media's impact, AI), education (school uniforms, free college), health (vaccinations, diets), politics (death penalty, voting age, gun control), ethics (animal testing, euthanasia, free speech), and social issues (climate change, gender roles, cultural sensitivity). Choose topics that have clear opposing viewpoints and are relevant, like whether social media harms youth, if climate change requires urgent action, or if college should be free.
How do I choose a strong argument?
Building Strong Arguments
- Consider the situation. Think of all aspects of the communication situation What are the subject and purpose of your message? ...
- Clarify your thinking. ...
- Construct a claim. ...
- Collect evidence. ...
- Consider key objections. ...
- Craft your argument. ...
- Confirm your main point.
What are the three best arguments for the death penalty?
- Pro 1: The death penalty provides the justice and closure families and victims deserve. ...
- Pro 2: The death penalty prevents additional crime. ...
- Pro 3: The death penalty is the only moral and just punishment for the worst crimes.
Is the death penalty good or bad?
The death penalty does not deter crime
Countries who execute commonly cite the death penalty as a way to deter people from committing crime. This claim has been repeatedly discredited, and there is no evidence that the death penalty is any more effective in reducing crime than life imprisonment.
Why is the death penalty so cruel?
The U.S. death penalty system flagrantly violates human rights law. It is often applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner without affording vital due process rights. Moreover, methods of execution and death row conditions have been condemned as cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment and even torture.
Does God approve of the death penalty?
The ordinances given to Moses in conjunction with the commandments prescribe death for murderers and others. Despite this, God occasionally calls for restraint and mercy.
What was Obama's death penalty?
On 17 January 2017, three days before leaving office after eight years in the White House, President Barack Obama commuted one military death sentence and one federal death sentence. The prisoner in each case will now serve life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Does the death penalty save innocent lives?
Statistical studies and common sense aside, it's undeniable that the death penalty saves some lives: those of the prison guards and other inmates who would otherwise be killed by murderers serving life sentences without parole, and of people who might otherwise encounter murderous escapees.