Political Factors, Perceptions, and Public Support for Clemency Grants

Executive clemency is an ancillary correctional reform that is often controversial and significantly shaped by public opinion. Using 2025 YouGov survey data, the study examined how support for clemency is associated with broad political factors, perceptions of sentence fairness, and perceptions of clemency’s purpose. Results showed that political ideology, party affiliation, and 2024 presidential election choice had no credible associations with support for frequent clemency grants. In contrast, the clemency-specific perceptions were associated with frequent endorsement after accounting for these political factors. Support was higher when clemency was viewed as a means to correct injustices and rehabilitate offenders. Conversely, those who believed prisoners were sentenced fairly and appropriately were less supportive of frequent clemency grants. Interaction analysis indicated that the positive association between perceived rehabilitative function and clemency support was weaker among disengaged/moderate respondents than among committed liberals. Nevertheless, the associated marginal effect was not credible in weighted models, warranting further exploration. These findings have implications for policymaking, particularly for enhancing clemency as a correctional reform.