True / False
1. One of the principles of “doing justice” involves protecting the rights of the accused.
a. True
b. False
2. Crime prevention depends on the actions of police and citizens.
a. True
b. False
3. The concept of citizen’s arrest grants citizens the same authority to enforce the law as police officers.
a. True
b. False
4. The concept of federalism involves the division of power between a central (national) government and regional (state)
governments.
a. True
b. False
5. Most criminal laws are written by state legislatures but enforced by federal agencies.
a. True
b. False
6. Federal authorities handle fewer cases annually than state and local authorities.
a. True
b. False
7. Congress has consistently refused to expand the powers of the FBI since the agency’s creation.
a. True
b. False
8. Jurisdiction typically goes to the FBI where stolen property has been moved across state lines.
a. True
b. False
9. Police departments are most often run by local government.
a. True
b. False
10. The subsystems of the criminal justice system act independently of each other.
a. True
b. False
11. Plea bargaining is an example of an exchange relationship in the criminal justice system.
a. True
b. False
12. Criminal justice is a system whose components—police, courts, corrections—are compartmentalized and therefore
exert little or no influence on each other.
a. True
b. False
13. Judges are the only actors in the criminal justice system who have discretion.
a. True
b. False
14. Criminal justice agencies are self-sufficient; that is, they generate their own funding and are not dependent upon
outside financial sources.
a. True
b. False
15. Over 80 percent of criminal defendants who reach the trial stage will be convicted.
a. True
b. False
16. The filtering process refers to the authority to make decisions based on one’s own judgment.
a. True
b. False
17. A police officer who is providing emergency first aid after an automobile accident is engaging in the duty of “keeping
the peace.”
a. True
b. False
18. More than half of convicted offenders are supervised in the community.
a. True
b. False
19. Because police usually observe crimes as they occur, they are at an advantage in quickly arresting offenders.
a. True
b. False
20. Charging typically takes place between initial appearance and arraignment.
a. True
b. False
21. The majority of cases in the American criminal justice system will proceed to trial.
a. True
b. False
22. The most publicized criminal cases make up the bottom layer of the criminal justice wedding cake.
a. True
b. False
23. A lawmaker who embraces the crime control model would be likely to support laws that limit the number of appeals
made by those convicted of crimes.
a. True
b. False
24. In the United States, minorities are more likely to be incarcerated than members of the majority.
a. True
b. False
25. There is no evidence of racism in the operation of the criminal justice system.
a. True
b. False
26. A goal of the criminal justice system is having the media exploit crime for ratings.
a. True
b. False
27. Offenses that are considered wrong by their very nature are traditionally referred to as natural crime.
a. True
b. False
28. Cyber crimes would likely be a top priority of the FBI’s enforcement efforts.
a. True
b. False
29. The Department of Homeland Security was created by the USA Patriot Act.
a. True
b. False
30. Disparity refers to the authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts, relying on one’s own
judgment.
a. True
b. False
31. Discretion refers to the authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts, relying on one’s own
judgment.
a. True
b. False
32. An arrest is said to have occurred when a suspect is physically taken into custody.
a. True
b. False
33. The reading of a suspect’s Miranda warnings occurs during the initial hearing.
a. True
b. False
34. Federal sentencing guidelines punish individuals for possession of or trafficking in crack cocaine more harshly than
users of powder cocaine.
a. True
b. False
35. Evidence-based practices are those policies developed through guidance from research studies that demonstrate which
approaches are most useful and cost effective.
a. True
b. False
36. Specific policies, such as evidence-based practices, are developed with the intent to achieve certain policy outcomes,
in this case more efficient use of available resources.
a. True
b. False
37. Subsystems are the interdependent parts within the larger system.
a. True
b. False
Multiple Choice
38. According to Cole and Smith, which of the following is NOT a goal of the criminal justice system?
a. doing justice
b. controlling crime
c. preventing crime
d. dramatizing crime
e. all of these are goals of the criminal justice system
39. Offenses that are considered wrong by their very nature are traditionally referred to as:
a. felonies.
b. mala in se.
c. mala prohibita.
d. heinous.
e. natural crimes.
40. Mala prohibita offenses are:
a. morally offensive acts that fall short of criminal status.
b. offenses that are considered wrong by moral standards.
c. offenses that are considered wrong in American culture.
d. offenses prohibited by law but not wrong in themselves.
e. all felonies.
41. ______ are actions which violate laws defining those socially harmful behaviors subject to the government’s power to
impose punishments.
a. Crimes
b. Mores
c. Morals
d. Misdemeanors
e. Civil infractions
42. According to Cole and Smith, the goal of criminal justice that concerns fairness and equity is referred to as:
a. arbitration
b. civility
c. doing justice
d. controlling crime
e. preventing crime
43. According to Cole and Smith, the goal of criminal justice that concerns the processes of arresting, prosecuting,
convicting, and punishing those who disobey the law is referred to as:
a. controlling crime
b. doing justice
c. arbitrating crime
d. preventing crime
e. developing legal parameters
44. In the American system of federalism, which level of government is solely responsible for the administration of
criminal justice?
a. city governments
b. city and county partnerships
c. state governments
d. federal government
e. no single level of government is solely responsible
45. What specific powers does the U.S. Constitution give to a national police force?
a. The Constitution allows the military to serve as a national police force.
b. The Constitution gives all national police powers to the FBI.
c. The Constitution does not allow for a national police force with broad powers.
d. The Constitution gives the national police force power that is subordinate to the state governments.
e. The Constitution restricts the federal government from participating in criminal justice activities.
46. Which of the following is a criminal activity that the federal government has the power to regulate?
a. terrorism
b. Internet-based child pornography
c. interstate gang-related crimes
d. banking-related crimes
e. all of the above
47. Which of the following would not be a top priority of the FBI’s enforcement efforts?
a. cyber attacks
b. espionage
c. terrorism
d. local homicide rates
e. national security
48. What federal enforcement agency was created as a direct result of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks in
2001?
a. Immigration and Naturalization Service
b. Department of Homeland Security
c. Federal Aviation Administration
d. Federal Emergency Management Agency
e. U.S. Border Patrol
49. The Constitution creates two separate justice systems in the United States. The two systems are:
a. local and county.
b. county and state.
c. state and federal.
d. federal and international.
e. local and federal.
50. Which of the following federal agencies is responsible for protecting travelers and interstate commerce?
a. the DEA
b. the ATF
c. the FBI
d. the TSA
e. the CIA
51. Corrections agencies are most often run by:
a. federal governments.
b. state governments.
c. local governments.
d. county governments.
e. private corporations.
52. The components of criminal justice are best described as a/an:
a. socialized entity.
b. system.
c. isolated process.
d. integrated process.
e. bifurcation.
53. A key concept in the criminal justice process, involving the mutual transfer of resources among individual actors, is
known as:
a. exchange.
b. referrals.
c. system.
d. discretion.
e. disparity.
54. Which of the following terms refers to the authority to make decisions without reference to specific rules or facts,
relying on one’s own judgment?
a. exchange
b. due process
c. system
d. discretion
e. disparity
55. What proportion of criminal justice employees in the United States work at the federal level?
a. less than 1 percent
b. 10 percent
c. one-third
d. two-thirds
e. over 90 percent
56. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the criminal justice system?
a. discretion
b. resource dependence
c. filtering
d. sequential tasks
e. independence of actors
57. Which of the following is an established argument in favor of discretion in the criminal justice system?
a. Some state constitutions require discretion.
b. Discretion is noncontroversial.
c. Discretion is almost always effective.
d. It is impossible for any law to be fairly enforced.
e. Discretion is needed because the system lacks the resources to treat every case the same way.
58. Which of the following is an appropriate duty and use of police resources?
a. educating the public about crime
b. preventing crime
c. helping give emergency medical assistance
d. helping people who have been locked out of their homes
e. all of the above are appropriate
59. Which of the following ultimately happens to most defendants whose charges are not dropped?
a. They go to trial.
b. They plead guilty.
c. They are found innocent.
d. They are found not guilty by reason of insanity.
e. They are acquitted.
60. The criminal justice agency on the “front line” in controlling crime is…
a. citizens.
b. police.
c. courts.
d. corrections.
e. parole.
61. The number of employees that work in state and local criminal justice agencies is
a. under 50,000
b. approximately 100,000
c. approximately 500,000
d. over one million
e. too numerous to determine
62. Which of the following are major duties of the police?
a. keeping the peace
b. apprehending violators and combating crime
c. preventing crime
d. providing social services
e. all of the above
63. The United States has a….
a. dual court system
b. triple court system
c. centralized court system
d. federal court system
e. synthetic court system
64. Which of the following is an example of the police providing social services?
a. intervening in violent domestic disputes
b. arresting persons dangerous to the community
c. checking warrants in traffic stops
d. providing first aid to a car accident victim
e. all of these are examples of police providing social services
65. The determination of whether or not a defendant is guilty is known as:
a. adjudication.
b. indictment.
c. booking.
d. information.
e. arraignment.
66. The primary duty of the courts is
a. statutory compliance.
b. oversight of police actions.
c. adjudication.
d. interpretation of constitutional mandates.
e. modification of unfair laws.
67. Which of the following governmental bodies administers prisons, jails, and other corrections facilities and programs?
a. the federal government
b. state governments
c. city governments
d. county governments
e. all of the above
68. When a person is physically taken into custody, it is known as a(n):
a. warrant.
b. arrest.
c. indictment.
d. information.
e. booking.
69. Which of the following is NOT a process that takes place at the initial appearance?
a. Miranda warnings are given.
b. Suspect is given formal notice of the charge for which he or she is being held.
c. Bail is set by the judge.
d. Judge will consider whether to proceed with the case or dismiss it.
e. Judge may consider whether to hold the defendant without bail.
70. When does plea bargaining take place in the decision-making process?
a. at the time of arrest
b. before a warrant is issued
c. at the initial appearance
d. before sentence is imposed
e. at any time in the criminal justice process
71. At the ____________________, suspects are informed of the charges against them and advised of their rights.
a. arraignment
b. trial
c. preliminary hearing
d. prison
e. plea bargain
72. Which of the following people is responsible for sentencing?
a. prosecutors
b. defendants
c. court clerks
d. wardens
e. judges
73. Trial judges and other officials are determined to have acted properly in about ______ of cases that are appealed.
a. less than 10 percent
b. 10 percent
c. 20 percent
d. 80 percent
e. 99 percent
74. About ____ percent of criminal cases are heard by juries.
a. 5
b. 15
c. 25
d. 50
e. 80
75. Which of the following refers to a serious crime, usually carrying a penalty of incarceration for more than one year?
a. indictment
b. misdemeanor
c. felony
d. civil infractions
e. traffic violations
76. The 2011 trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who prescribed medications that caused the death of singer
Michael Jackson would be found in which layer of the criminal justice wedding cake?
a. layer 1: the top layer
b. layer 2
c. layer 3
d. layer 4
e. layer 5: the bottom layer
77. Which layer of the criminal justice wedding cake consists of serious felonies?
a. layer 1: the top layer
b. layer 2
c. layer 3
d. layer 4
e. any of the layers would include serious felonies