Public opinion on the death penalty in Latin America: exploring the individuals determinants in 11 jurisdictions

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to analyse the individual determinants of public attitudes towards the pro-death penalty in 11 Latin American jurisdictions surveyed by the World Values Survey 7th wave (2017–2020). We use linear regression to examine two explanations that may help us understand popular support for the death penalty in this region: the escalating crime-distrust model and the out-group animus model. The analysis shows that both models provide only partial support for variations in public attitudes towards the death penalty in Latin America. While there is an association between residents’ fear of crime and their disdain for out-groups, an important part of the explanation seems to be related to contextual factors in each country. Thus, future studies need to analyse how elite framing and/or movements in defence of victims of violent crimesexplain popular attitudes towards the death penalty in the region.