Deck 6: Crime in the Political System

Question 1

Why do we have election laws?

A) guard against fraud in the election process
B) protect election officials
C) enact new voting laws
D) register voters every election

Answer 1

A

Question 2

If a group of citizens were charged a fee by a political party's campaign workers to register them to vote, this would be __________.

A) acceptable since it helps them become voters
B) ok as long as the fees are received by an election board
C) illegal and an election law violation that could be criminally prosecuted
D) a service offered to citizens who are not registered to vote

Answer 2

C

Question 3

If the election board of a large city decided not to accept the will of their voters and declared the losing candidate the winner, what type of election fraud would this be?

A) corrupting the voting process
B) canvassing ballots against the winning candidate
C) corrupting the process of certifying an election
D) voter fraud and political corruption

Answer 3

C

Question 4

People who register to vote multiple times under different aliases are committing what type of crime?

A) state corporate crime
B) apolitical white-collar crime
C) campaign finance violation
D) election law violation

Question 5

What have researchers concluded about the effect of voter identification laws?

A) People who are not registered to vote are targeted.
B) They suppress minority voter turnout.
C) The determination of people to vote increases.
D) The laws have no effect on voter turnout.

Question 6

What do experts believe about voter fraud?

A) widespread but not enough to affect elections
B) incredibly rare, with less than a few hundred cases per year
C) mostly committed by disaffected voters
D) often committed by voters who collude to vote multiple times

Question 7

Campaign finance laws exist to control who can contribute to political campaigns, how much they can contribute, and which of the following?

A) how donors influence political campaigns
B) where donated funds come from
C) what politicians do with donations
D) the number of donors contributing to a political party

Question 8

The Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission paved the way for which of the following?

A) cash contributions to political campaigns
B) formation of political action committees (PAC) that could spend more on political campaigns and advertising
C) politicians" ability to accept contributions without reporting them
D) the ability of corporations to contribute unlimited funds to politicians

Question 9

Which of the following is a form of political corruption?

A) abuse of authority
B) extortion
C) violation of election laws
D) sexual harassment of a staffer

Question 10

Researchers believe that the most common way officials learn about public corruption cases is from which of the following?

A) criminal justice officials
B) investigative journalists
C) whistleblowers and informants
D) family members and/or friends

Question 11

Prosecutions of political crimes by federal rather than state and local agencies offer what advantage for the offender?

A) Jurors are selected from a broader cross section of the public and will likely not know or have an opinion of the official.
B) Trials are conducted more quickly, giving the official a better chance for acquittal.
C) Federal prosecutors don't have resources for all the corruption cases they investigate.
D) There are few advantages for offenders when being prosecuted for corruption.

Question 12

What is one consequences of political corruption?

A) Corrupt politicians are often voted out of office.
B) Public trust in the law and rule of law decreases.
C) There is an increase in investments in the country.
D) Corrupt offenders face harsh punishment.

Question 13

What group or institution focuses their efforts on controlling state crime?

A) the Department of Justice by investigating cases brought against state offenders
B) advocates, individuals and organizations seeking to expose wrong doing by officials
C) the government through self-policing and self-imposed sanctions
D) law enforcement in individual states

Question 14

When a powerful politician has an affair with a low-level staff member, what type of misconduct has occurred?

A) solicitation
B) abuse of authority
C) apolitical white-collar crime
D) political abuse

Question 15

What is one characteristic of apolitical white-collar crime?

A) misconduct by politicians that is outside of the scope of politics
B) situations that are within the scope of politics but are not political in nature
C) continuous abuse of authority to compel misconduct from individuals inside of government
D) lack of remorse for their misconduct

Question 16

Who is the 'state' when scholars talk about state-corporate crime?

A) state and local governments and their employees of the fifty states
B) government agencies and their employees at the federal, state, and local level
C) agencies of the federal government and its employees
D) corporations that interact with federal, state, and local government employees

Question 17

The term 'state crime' is used by scholars to describe which type of situation?

A) representatives of the government who commit crimes that are apolitical.
B) governments that commit crimes against citizens.
C) governments and/or their representatives who commit crimes on behalf of
D) the government representatives who commit crimes against the government

Question 18

In what ways is the concept of state-corporate crime useful?

A) highlights the power of formal institutions to harm members of society
B) identifies areas that need formal attention that otherwise would have been overlooked
C) reveals degree of misconduct committed by people in less powerful positions
D) encourages professionals of high status to follow regulations and guidelines stipulating appropriate behavior

Question 19

If the head of an agency who has committed a serious offense blames it on the assistant who discovered the crime, what response is the offender using?

A) censure
B) scapegoating
C) fear mongering
D) demoralization

Question 20

Why do scholars see international law as a 'foundation' for defining state-corporate crime?

A) Foreign countries provide a model for state criminal activity.
B) International law includes human rights and social and economic harms as well as crimes that can be prosecuted.
C) State crime is frequently committed internationally.
D) Individuals, but not governments, can violate another country's laws, even though they not be a citizen of the country.

Question 21

Which of the following would scholars identify as a state crime perpetuated by a government?

A) response to damage from a hurricane in a major city
B) misuse of data from surveilling citizens
C) government officials raising their salaries
D) lack of action on a key policy issue

Question 22

What allegations of fraud were made against President Trump during his time in office?

A) insider trading
B) bank and tax fraud
C) mortgage fraud
D) voter fraud

Question 23

Why did President Donald Trump fire the Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson in early 2020?

A) He revealed the identity of the whistleblower.
B) He wouldn't open an investigation into the Ukraine call.
C) He testified at Trump's impeachment.
D) He referred the whistleblower complaint on Ukraine to Congress.

Question 24

What was a significant investigation of former President Trump?

A) Mueller investigation
B) Inspector General firings
C) Trump University scandal
D) housing discrimination accusation

Question 25

Voter identification laws require citizens to prove they are eligible to vote by presenting photo IDs.

Question 26

Cash contributions to political campaigns are allowed by campaign finance laws.

Question 27

The Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission declared campaign contributions by organizations and corporations were a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment.

Question 28

Political extortion is defined as political officials being blackmailed for money or their influence.

Question 29

Censuring and scapegoating are possible consequences for those that expose state crime offenders.

Question 30

When it comes to state crime, governmental agencies are considered employers, making misconduct by any of its employees a white-collar crime.

Question 31

Misconduct by politicians outside of their elected responsibilities are not considered white-collar crimes.

Question 32

Federal convictions of state offenders represent 94% of corruption cases.

Question 33

Political scandals have made it easier for honest politicians to lead and govern.

Question 34

Describe the three types of fraud that are classified under election law violations.

Question 35

Explain the Supreme Court's rational for its decision regarding the Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission case.

Question 36

Discuss the relationship of the state and corporations regarding state-corporate crime.

Question 37

Describe the purpose of the Mueller Investigation.

Question 38

Define apolitical white-collar crime.

Question 39

Discuss the scope of political corruption committed by public officials.

Question 40

Describe the controversies surrounding Donald Trump's political pardons, firings, and connections to white-collar criminals.