Deliverable: Two- to three-page (not including the cover or reference pages) APA-formatted paper (100 points)
In this assignment, you will research and discuss the pros and cons of using the death penalty over life imprisonment. You must support your opinions and evaluations with information, data, or statistics. You must also incorporate theory into your discussion (see the Week 3 assigned reading).
Follow these steps to complete your assignment.
Begin your research.
Research the use of the death penalty.
Research the use of life imprisonment for capital cases.
Review your assigned chapter reading on rational choice and trait theories and the assigned article. Conduct additional research as needed.
Write your paper.
Cover page
Body of the paper:
Introduction: Provide an introductory paragraph.
Purpose of the death penalty: Why do some states use the death penalty over life in prison? This section should be at least one full paragraph.
Apply theory: This section should be three or more full paragraphs.
Are criminals rational decision makers, or are they motivated by uncontrollable biosocial, psychological, and emotional drives? Fully explain.
Considering what you learned regarding trait theories, what role should this information play (if any) in sentencing? Fully explain your position and give examples.
Position: Based on your findings, are you for or against the death penalty? If so, for what crimes and when? If not, why? Explain your position based on your research findings. This section should be at least one full paragraph.
Conclusion: Wrap up your paper with a concluding paragraph.
Reference page: Include APA-formatted citations.
The paper should be in essay form. An essay is a composition that is intended to be an analytical, interpretative, original response about the topics and examples in question. An appropriate response should fully answer all questions. It should be organized, have a purpose, and contain examples to support the purpose. Each essay response should be edited for grammar, spelling, typos, and correct punctuation. The writing style should demonstrate an understanding of the material assigned and integrate multiple points of view, using vocabulary reflective of the topics discussed over the course of the week.
