| Studies in Russia shows that a lack of legal information, together with incomplete and distorted notions of the law, is universal, This point is in itself extremely important for evaluating the significance of survey results. The incomplete and contradictory nature of responses, the complex and hidden mechanics determining the shaping of public opinion, and the lack of legalknowledge are conductive to a very biased interpretation of survey results, that is, one oriented toward the emergent political situation. Public opinion is a dynamic category. Although the degree of polarization varies according to the times and even eithin the boundaries of specific social groups, a public consensus on the issue of the death penalty will probably always be difficult to attain. In any social groups public opinion is always conservative on the issue of crime policy. Based on excessive emotions and past stereotypes, it does not take it well when long-accepted ideas show cracks. Hence the state must move ahead of public opinion, see that it is informed and rationally shaped, and clarify which grounds are desirable and what the social and political advantages will be of any decision on the application of the death penalty. |
Updated 05/20/2006