Geschichte der Todesstrafe in Nordamerika

The USA is the only Western democracy that still upholds the death penalty to this day. From colonial times to the present, this book demonstrates that the state-sanctioned killing of individuals is not only a tool of criminal law but also an expression of the American social order and its worldviews. For example, it is far from a coincidence that disproportionately high numbers of African American men from socially disadvantaged backgrounds are sentenced to death. The practice of the death penalty—such as the abolition of public executions or the introduction of the electric chair—reflects, just like its portrayal in the media and literature, general developments in the USA. Jürgen Martschukat's book is an informed and critical introduction to one of the most contentious issues in American society.