As noted in today's News Scan, Gallup has recapped some of their historical death penalty polling data. Gallup's Web content is typically free on the day of posting only and limited to subscribers thereafter.

On the generic question Gallup has been asking since 1936, support is at 65%, a little above the 70-year mean of 63.7%. The historical data for this question are copied on CJLF's site here. The "anti" side likes to trumpet that support is down 15% from its all-time high in 1994. Sure, and it's also up 23% from its all-time low in 1966. Most numbers are down from their peaks and up from their troughs.

Regrettably, Gallup's release today does not recap the question that best captures support and opposition for the death penalty as it presently exists, i.e. whether the survey respondent believes the death penalty is presently imposed too often, not often enough, or about right. That question has, for the last several years, shown that three-quarters of the American people either support the death penalty as it is or want it tougher.