This research will study the movement to abolish the death penalty in the United States. The award is made to an investigator at an undergraduate institution (RUI award). The project will trace the activities of selected anti-death penalty movement organizations from 1972 to the present. The study will examine how the organizations' ability to mobilize and recruit members depend on their organizational infrastructure, on the resources they are able to marshall, and on the political climate. The investigator will examine organizational records, and perform interviews with members active in the organizations. This research will make an important contribution to the study of social movements. It will also provide important insights into the organizational strategies and dilemmas the anti-death penalty organizations have developed in response to widespread hostility to their cause and difficulties in maintaining the commitment of their members.
