Final answer:
The Supreme Court has significantly narrowed the application of the death penalty, prohibiting execution for individuals with cognitive disabilities, those under eighteen at the time of the crime, and cases of non-homicidal offenses. Shifts in public opinion and recent political actions further complicate the future of capital punishment in the U.S.
Step-by-step explanation:
The death penalty and how it has been applied by the government has been subjected to significant legal challenges and evolving limitations. The Supreme Court has ruled that certain categories of people, such as those with intellectual disabilities, minors, or individuals who committed non-homicidal crimes, cannot be executed. These decisions are based on interpretations of the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, and the necessity for criminal penalties to serve the broader societal purpose of retribution and deterrence.
Moreover, there's an observable shift in public opinion against the death penalty, influenced by a decline in violent crime, revelations of wrongful executions (e.g., the Claude Jones case), and increasing abolitions of capital punishment by states. This, coupled with the most recent leadership's actions—like the Trump Justice Department's spate of executions—indicates a complex and changing landscape related to the application of the death penalty in the United States.