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：California is having problems with its death penalty．It hasn’t executed anyone since 2006，when a federal court ruled that its method of lethal injection was improper and could cause excessive pain．The state spent five years coming up with a better method——and last month，a judge threw that one out t00．One indication of just how encumbered California’s capital—punishment system is：the prisoner who brought the latest lethal—injection challenge has been on death row for 24 years．
It isn’t just California．The Death Penalty Information Center reported last month that thenumber of new death sentences nationally was down sharply in 2011，dropping below 100 for the first time in decades．It also reported that executions were plummeting_______down 56％ since 1999．
There has long been an idea about how the death penalty would end in the U．S．：the Supreme Court would hand down a sweeping ruling saying it is unconstitutional in all cases．
But that is not what is happening．Instead of top—down abolition．we seem to be getting it from the bottom up-governors，state legislatures，judges and juries quietly deciding not to support capital punishment．New Jersey abolished its death penalty in 2007．New Mexicoabolished its death penalty in 2009．There are now l6 states—0r about one—third of the country—that have abolished capital punishment．
There are several reasons we seem to be moving toward de facto abolition of the death penalty．A major one has been the growing number of prisoners on death row who have been exonerated——139 and counting since 1973，according to a list maintained by the Death Penalty Information Center．Even many people who support capital punishment in theory balk when they are confronted with clear evidence that innocent people are being sentenced to death．
Another factor is cost．Money is tight these days．and more attention is being paid to just how expensive death．penalty cases are．A 2008 study found that California was spending $137 million on capital cases—a sizable outlay，particularly since it was not putting anyone to death．
According to the polls，a majority of the country has not yet turned against the death penalty——but support is slipping．In l994，80％of respondents in a Gallup poll said they supported the death penalty for someone convicted of murder．In 2001，just 61％did．In polls where respondents are given a choice between the death penalty or life without parole and restitution，a majority has gone with the non-death option．
Many opponents of the death penalty are still hoping for a sweeping Supreme Courtruling，and there is no denying that it would have unique force．Five Justices，with a stroke of their pens．could end capital punishment nationwide．But bottom—up，gradual abolition has other advantages．What we are seeing is not a small group of judges setting policy．It is a large number of Americans gradually losing their enthusiasm for putting people to death．
The top—down abolition in Paragraph 3 refers to______． A．the abolition of death penalty on a national scale
B．the abolition of death penalty decided by the supreme court
C．the abolition of death penalty at state level
D．the abolition of death penalty by referendum
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