Test Bank for Criminal In Justice 3rd
Edition by Fichtelberg
ISBN: 9781071956151
Criminal In Justice (3rd)
ISBN 9781071956151 | Chapter 1: Defining, Classifying, and Measuring Crime
Total Questions: 50 Easy
Multiple Choice (6)
Q1. [Multiple Choice]
A crime is any act that ______ and individuals that commit such acts are ______.
a) violates criminal laws; criminals ✓ correct
b) gets you a fine or prison time; deviants
c) makes you a threat to society; deviants
d) sends you to prison; criminals
Q2. [Multiple Choice]
Material from the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) is compiled into an annual study entitled ______.
a) Police Reports Summary
b) National Incident Based Reporting Service
c) Crime in the United States ✓ correct
d) Police Report Statistics
Q3. [Multiple Choice]
The term ______ describes acts that are wrong because they are banned.
a) malum prohibitum ✓ correct
b) mala in se
c) mala criminali
d) malum per se
Q4. [Multiple Choice]
Which approach describes the world as full of vastly different social standards, each with its own lists of right and wrong behavior?
a) civil disobedience
b) moral relativism ✓ correct
c) natural law
d) mala in se
Q5. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following is considered a street crime?
a) insider trading
b) price fixing
c) mugging ✓ correct
d) embezzlement
Q6. [Multiple Choice]
______, one of the founders of modern sociology, was fascinated with how people reacted to crime in their societies.
a) Durkheim ✓ correct
b) Lombroso
c) Bentham
d) Beccaria
True/False (8)
Q7. [True/False]
Dogfighting was once considered a legitimate activity in Western countries.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q8. [True/False] Felonies are relatively minor infractions.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q9. [True/False]
Laws vary dramatically from state to state.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q10. [True/False] Satanic cults and human sacrifice crimes are largely a myth in American society.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q11. [True/False]
The Founding Fathers were considered heroes by Great Britain.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q12. [True/False]
The UCR breaks up nationwide crime into seven categories.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q13. [True/False]
The concept of white collar crime is a relatively old one.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q14. [True/False]
The police, prosecutors, and judges may choose to ignore lawbreaking for a variety of reasons.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Medium
Multiple Choice (17)
Q15. [Multiple Choice]
A net increase in arrest rates does not necessarily mean that more crime has occurred. An increase in arrest rates can mean simply that ______.
a) officers are arresting more people ✓ correct
b) there is an increase in acquittals
c) more people are being released from prison
d) fewer arrests are resulting in indictments
Q16. [Multiple Choice]
Crime is typically measured by victimization surveys, perpetrator surveys, and ______.
a) news reports
b) judge surveys
c) attorney surveys
d) police reports ✓ correct
Q17. [Multiple Choice]
Crime statistics were inflated during the Trump administration to add federal funding to ______.
a) coastal defenses
b) nuclear armaments
c) state police departments
d) a border wall ✓ correct
Q18. [Multiple Choice]
Defining a crime and a criminal has often involved looking at legal and ______ angles of the person and situation.
a) scientific
b) political
c) social ✓ correct
d) economic
Q19. [Multiple Choice]
Embezzlement is a crime against ______.
a) the state
b) the person
c) public order
d) property ✓ correct
Q20. [Multiple Choice]
Legal definitions (or constructions) of crimes are often the product of ______ processes.
a) judicial
b) legislative ✓ correct
c) foreign
d) simple
Q21. [Multiple Choice]
Loitering and panhandling are examples of crimes against ______.
a) the person
b) property
c) public order ✓ correct
d) the state
Q22. [Multiple Choice]
Media reports warning the public concerning the dangers of child abductions can lead to ______.
a) public outcry
b) moral panic ✓ correct
c) normative panic
d) white collar panic
Q23. [Multiple Choice]
Serial killer murders represent ______ of the number of homicides each year in the United States.
a) a very small percentage ✓ correct
b) the majority
c) about a quarter
d) about half
Q24. [Multiple Choice]
The courts apply criminal law when they determine whether or not ______.
a) a person is innocent
b) a crime was committed
c) a judge agrees to the charges
d) a person is guilty ✓ correct
Q25. [Multiple Choice]
The purpose of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is to ______.
a) find out about drug related crimes
b) learn about crime rates by studying victims ✓ correct
c) research “victimless” crimes
d) interview minors and homeless about crimes
Q26. [Multiple Choice]
The simplest approach to defining a crime is saying that a crime is ______.
a) a violation of the law ✓ correct
b) loosely defined
c) evolving over time
d) amoral construct
Q27. [Multiple Choice]
What are two categories for crimes when divided up by severity of the offense?
a) misdemeanors and felonies ✓ correct
b) street crimes and felonies
c) white collar crimes and felonies
d) misdemeanors and minor infractions
Q28. [Multiple Choice]
What is the purpose of the UCR?
a) to report nation wide crime equally, regardless of the seriousness of the offense
b) to break down national crime into major categories
c) to provide more detail about the crimes police respond to than the NIBRS
d) to have a single, nation wide resource for understanding and studying criminality in America ✓ correct
Q29. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following is a reason why police officials might inflate crime statistics?
a) to attract real estate developers
b) to show they have crime under control
c) to justify additional funding ✓ correct
d) to portray a safe neighborhood
Q30. [Multiple Choice]
Which of the following is an example of a crime against the person?
a) disorderly conduct
b) vandalism
c) rape ✓ correct
d) espionage
Q31. [Multiple Choice]
______ is essential to democracy, but in some countries, criticism of the government is considered treason.
a) Compliance
b) Dissent ✓ correct
c) Tolerance
d) Liberty
True/False (7)
Q32. [True/False]
Convictions and acquittals usually show up in crime data.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q33. [True/False]
Durkheim observed that, even within the same society, some acts can be considered criminal in one context and noble in another.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q34. [True/False]
Environmental crimes include the illegal poaching of endangered animals.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q35. [True/False]
The Alien and Sedition Act essentially made it a crime to criticize the government.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q36. [True/False]
The U.S. Constitution defines only one crime: treason.
a) True ✓ correct
b) False
Correct answer: True
Q37. [True/False]
The definition of crime is specific and rarely contested in legal or social situations.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Q38. [True/False]
White collar crime is the most overreported form of criminal activity in the media.
a) True
b) False ✓ correct
Correct answer: False
Essay (6)
Q39. [Essay]
Describe natural law and explain why one might consider it an important concept.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Natural law is the concept that laws exist that supersede those created and adopted by human beings, their governments, and other organizations. Natural law implies a “higher law” developed by God or a supernatural origin. Natural law is important because it is the impetus for civil disobedience against unjust laws or rules in a society. It implies a moral order that goes against even government activity. If a government creates unjust laws, individuals have a right to oppose them. Historical examples include Martin Luther King Jr. in opposition to racist laws in the United States and Gandhi’s reaction to British colonialism in India.
Q40. [Essay]
Evaluate how the media could be more responsible in its reporting of crimes.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Because the media and news outlets are driven by ratings and selling advertising, individuals are often sensationalized to be guilty by public opinion before an actual trial. High-profile cases and those that bring in ratings are emphasized. The media could be more balanced in their reporting of cases and remind viewers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in court. This approach could also translate into the production of fictionalized accounts of crime depicted in television shows and movies. Excessive violence, use of force, and other unsavory situations and tactics often misrepresent police actions and the activities of criminals for the promotion of better ratings. While productions often employ law and police consultants in the development of a show, more needs to be done to depict crime and law enforcement in a more realistic way.
Q41. [Essay]
Explain Durkheim’s view on the role of crime in society. Why might one disagree with this view on crime?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Durkheim’s assessment of crime is that it is inevitable in society. In addition, by examining crime and criminal behaviors, one can better understand society itself. All societies have different responses and reactions to criminal behaviors. What is considered a crime in one place or situation may not be so in another place. Punishments for crime in one place might be very different from the other. Too much crime is bad for the overall society. Too little crime also leads to a skewed function of society. Some crime is needed to define the values, customs, and norms of a given place. Durkheim even went as far as to say some crime is overall beneficial to a society because it allows for social regulation and eventual change. Criminals and their behavior actually push the limits of what is acceptable or not in a society. One might disagree with Durkheim’s view that crime is a positive benefit to society. Many crimes hurt individuals and do damage to society as a whole. From a moralistic perspective, severe crimes like murder, rape, and assault do severe damage. Elimination of such crimes would be a great benefit to society. One might view all crime as negative and never a positive for individuals, groups, or societies.
Q42. [Essay]
Explain how crime is measured through victimization surveys. What are the disadvantages of measuring crime in this way?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Such surveys are done through phone calls, household visits, and other means. Surveys such as the National Crime Victimization Survey aid experts to create crime statistics by comparing them to other reporting sources. Using such datasets and feedback, a picture of overall criminal activity is created. A disadvantage to such an approach to crime data gathering is its exclusion or overall deemphasis on certain types of crimes. Prostitution, drug sales, and other smaller offenses remain underreported. By asking for victim input through surveys, some might be hesitant to share their experiences. Others surveyed might be skewing the numbers with false information.
Q43. [Essay]
Explain the difference between the legal termsmalum in seandmalum prohibitum. Provide examples for each concept.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Malum in se refers to crimes that are regarded as universally wrong by all societies and cultures. Murder and rape are examples of malum in se crimes. Malum in se crimes extends into the realm of moral depravity. By committing murder or rape, an individual is acting badly regardless of laws made by society. Such crimes are regarded as felonies in the United States and have severe punishments attached to them. Malum prohibitum crimes are more subjective in nature depending on society. These are actions prohibited by society based on laws at the immediate time and legal code. Some malum prohibitum crimes are permissible by some cultures but not others. For example, constructing a house in one place without a local building code might be legal in one society, but considered a criminal offense in another. Another example of malum prohibitum crime is prostitution as it is legal in some societies and prohibited by others.
Q44. [Essay]
Explain why the “rhetoric” of crime can be a powerful tool for those wanting to effect change in society.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Because rhetoric is the skillful manipulation of language, one can use it to brand another person or group as a criminal. If one does not agree with another group’s political or social activities, calling them out or branding them publicly as criminals is an effective tool. Anti-abortion groups, animal rights activists, political parties, and other groups use rhetoric as a public display to convince people that others are in the wrong. While calling a person or group “criminal” can be very effective, it can also backfire. Groups that are singled out publicly can refute the claim and launch their own rhetoric techniques against the claim’s initiator. Political parties and organizations often launch such retaliation against their opponents in the public arena. Both sides seek to maximize exposure in the public sphere.
Hard
Multiple Choice (2)
Q45. [Multiple Choice]
Habib is a local television producer deciding which major story to run as the headliner on the evening news. He has three equally newsworthy options, but Habib is determined to run a story about the abduction of a teenaged girl. Habib knows that this story has elements of ______ to attract viewership.
a) Ponzi scheme activity
b) missing woman syndrome ✓ correct
c) non violent criminal activity
d) serial killer activity
Q46. [Multiple Choice]
Zoe and her friends are protesting what they consider unjust treatment of chickens by trespassing onto private property and holding up signs stating that the animals are being abused. Zoe is accusing the owners of the property of criminal behaviors against these animals. She too is committing criminal activity by trespassing but wants to gain public support for her cause. Zoe and her friends are engaging in ______ to let others know about animal abuse.
a) a rhetorical technique ✓ correct
b) a generalized technique
c) an official event
d) an anti government rally
Essay (4)
Q47. [Essay]
Francisco, an adult, has been posting pornographic pictures of himself to an adults only website. Does this qualify as a crime? What if Francisco began sharing images of others? Would this crime be considered malum in se or not?
Suggested answer: Sample response: Francisco, as an adult, is legally able to post pornographic images of himself to a protected, adults-only website. However, sharing images of others is questionable. If they are adults who consent to the sharing, then it may be acceptable; however, Francisco could be opening and sharing images of underaged individuals without his own knowledge. Such activities could be construed as cybercrime and potentially sex crimes as well. Francisco should be mindful of the types of information he is sharing and receiving online. Malum in se is considered crime that are wrong by their very nature and form such as murder and rape. The activity Francisco is currently engaged in would not be considered malum in se, as Francisco is simply engaging in sexual behaviors with consenting adults. The behavior itself is not a crime in itself as long as images of minors are not shared.
Q48. [Essay]
Momoka is a sheriff deputy for a local county authority. She has noticed the official arrest rates do not reflect the actual numbers for the past two months. She is concerned that the numbers might be underreported by the sheriff. Explain why the sheriff would intentionally manipulate the numbers.
Suggested answer: Sample response: If the sheriff is underreporting the numbers, they may be doing so to show crime rates are dropping in the county. The advantage to this might be political in nature for reelection. In many cases, sheriff authorities are elected by the citizens of the county. Less overall crime in the area could be a great campaign platform for the sheriff in reelection. Manipulation of numbers is often done for good public relations and political reputation.
Q49. [Essay]
Paula is an officer with the local police department. She has been told by a few business owners in the area that petty theft is on the rise in the area. A couple of store owners have reported missing candy bars and other small items from their shops. Paula is also working on an unrelated drug trafficking case in the same neighborhood. Explain how and why Paula should prioritize her cases.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Because Paula is working on an important drug matter, she should not focus her attention on petty theft claims. Because other officers might be able to assist in the petty thefts and the stakes are low, Paula aims to get the drugs off the streets first. Police officers have to ignore lawbreaking at times due to the workload and prioritize their energies. While it is definitely true that someone is breaking the law and affecting the bottom line of storeowners, drug trafficking crimes take precedent.
Q50. [Essay]
When leaving for work one morning, Lin has noticed that two of the tires of his car have been slashed outside of his home. Two weeks prior, someone threw trash into his yard and spray painted a small but offensive symbol on his front sidewalk. Lin suspects that his neighbors two houses down are perpetuating these incidents against him. Born in China, Lin is now a naturalized citizen of the United States. After speaking to a few of the neighbors, he has learned that some locals have been expressing anti Asian hate in person and online. What type of crime has Lin experienced? Explain what actions Lin might take next, and what he might expect as a reaction to this type of crime.
Suggested answer: Sample response: Given the recent events and circumstances, Lin is likely the victim of a hate crime aimed at his racial identity. Hate crimes are those that are committed against a person simply because of a demographic facet of their identity. His next step should be to contact local law enforcement or seek out an attorney to aid him in his efforts. Hate crimes are federal crimes, and the federal government collects information on them. However, local law enforcement usually does not want their communities associated with hate crimes, so there may be a reluctance to classify the crimes Lin has experienced as such. Lin may need to gather additional evidence to prove the crimes were motivated by bias.