Final answer:
The exact percentage of the Texas population that currently supports the death penalty cannot be determined from the given data. Public opinion in Texas has historically favored the death penalty, with 40% of national executions since 1976 occurring there, but recent developments suggest a potential shift in attitudes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Roughly estimating the percentage of the Texas population that supports the death penalty is a methodical process involving statistics and public opinion data. Initially, 40% of executions since 1976 have occurred in Texas, which suggests a historically strong support for the death penalty within the state. However, contemporary attitudes may have shifted somewhat. According to the information given, 48% of voters within a certain state, which could be extrapolated to Texas based on its historical stance, prefer life imprisonment without parole over the death penalty for first-degree murder charges.
While the data does not directly speak to the percentage of the Texas population that supports the death penalty, examining trends such as the Great Depression, during which the number of executions was high, and the evolving legal landscape including cases like Jurek v. Texas, can provide context. Furthermore, with the introduction of DNA evidence exonerating some death-row inmates and public awareness of potential wrongful executions, public opinion is possibly shifting. Since 1977, the support might have decreased, but a specific figure for current support in Texas is not provided in the information given. Therefore, a clear percentage of the Texas population that supports the death penalty currently cannot be precisely determined from this data.