Crime and Punishment
Richard Bellamy demonstrates the contemporary relevance of an eighteenth-century debate.
The electoral strength of the Republicans in North America has re-opened the debate about capital punishment there, and will almost certainly lead to its reintroduction into states such as New York. In Britain, the return of the death penalty continues to form a stock item in the populist rhetoric of right-wing politicians and is generally thought to have the support of the majority of the population. So too does the associated view that current punishments are far too lenient to offer either a sufficient deterrent against, or a satisfactory penalty for, criminal behaviour.
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