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11 Duke J. Const. L. & Pub. Pol'y 1 (2016)

handle is hein.journals/dukpup11 and id is 1 raw text is: THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF US EXECUTIONS FRANK R. BAUMGARTNER* WOODY GRAM KANEESHA R. JOHNSON ARVIND KRISHNAMURTHY COLIN P. WILSON ABSTRACT We review statistical patterns of the geographic distribution of US executions, compare them to homicides, and demonstrate extremely high degrees of concentration of executions in the modern period compared to previous historical periods. We further show that this unprecedented level of concentration has been increasing over the past 20 years. We demonstrate that it is virtually uncorrelated with factors related to homicides. Finally, we show that it corresponds to a statistical distribution associated with self-reinforcing processes: a power-law or exponential distribution. These findings stand whether we look at individual counties within death-penalty states, across the 50 states of the United States, or look at the international distribution of executions across countries in recent years. The substantive conclusion from the statistical patterns observed is that these cannot be explained merely by random variation around some general average. Rather, localities start down a path, then are reinforced in their pathways. There appears to be little to no logic about why certain counties are the high-use counties, whereas the vast majority have never executed a single individual in 40 years of experience with the modern death penalty, often in spite of thousands of homicides. Our research indicates that a main determinant of Copyright © 2016 Frank M. Baumgartner, Woody Gram, Kaneesha R. Johnson, Arvind Krishnamurthy, and Colin P. Wilson. *Corresponding author, Frankb@unc.edu. Baumgartner is Richard J. Richardson Distinguished Professor of Political Science at UNC-Chapel Hill. Gram is a 2014 graduate of UNC and currently attends the University of Richmond School of Law. Johnson, Krishamurthy, and Wilson are current students at UNC.

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