Cross-National Differences in the Use of Capital Punishment CANCELLED

We examine sources of variation in possession and use of capital punishment using data from 193 nations in order to test theories of punishment. We find the use of capital punishment to be influenced by a country's legal and political systems, and its religious traditions. A country's level of economic development, its educational attainment, and its religious composition shape its political institutions and  practices, indirectly affecting its use of the death penalty. The paper concludes by discussing likely future trends.