大眾向來認為，臺灣受到應報文化的深刻影響，死刑制度因而在民意的高度支持下難以被廢除。本研究顯示，在過去六、七十年以來，臺灣死刑制度毋寧更為深刻地受到政治的左右。除了民意之外，政權的更迭、國際政治的變動、政治轉型的型態與當政者的傾向等國內與國際的政治因素，在不同時間以不同的分量，參與臺灣死刑制度的形塑。不過，這個左右臺灣死刑制度發展的政治框架，並不是單由政客所決定，國際與國內的廢死運動者的行動，亦曾成功地改變政治的內涵，為運動創造政治機會，促進廢死運動的進展。不過，自始與國際廢死運動互動頻繁的在地廢死運動，雖成功地限縮臺灣死刑的適用範圍，但因此給廢死運動「西方、外來」的形象，卻也讓臺灣社會對這個運動感覺疏離。終至在臺灣社會發生信心危機的時候，因著幾個偶發事件，讓廢死運動遭逢前所未有的反挫。本文認為，不管讀者對死刑制度有何等哲學或刑事政策的想法，都有必要知曉臺灣死刑制度的歷史與政治現實，以決定這個刑罰制度的未來。

People generally believe that the death penalty in Taiwan has been supported by traditional retributive culture, and the public support is the main reason why this penal institution cannot be abolished. This paper intends to rebut this conventional wisdom. It shows that in the past sixty to seventy years, this penal institution been much more affected by politics. In addition to public opinions, the death penalty in Taiwan has been shaped by the interplay of regime types, international politics, pattern of transitional politics and incumbent's inclinations. While it is true that politics has played a dominant role, actions of human rights activists still managed to redefine what politics is, and thus helped the local abolitionist movement to achieve an impressive progress within a short period of time. But the intensive cooperation between global and local anti-death penalty activists since the beginning has also made the anti-death penalty movement western and alien to the Taiwanese society, which unfortunately resulted in vehement backlashes in recent years. This paper urges both supporters and opponents of the death penalty to re-evaluate this peculiar penal institution from its historical realities.