Deck 3: Justice and the State

Question 1

In his book The Prince, Machiavelli argued that the ruler may do unjust things in the name of preserving the state (the ends justify the means).

Answer 1

True

Question 2

According to Machiavelli:

A) Citizens should not have a role in decisions made by the state
B) Until they get power, a ruler must be ruthless and evil
C) The state and its ruler are more important than the people who make up the state
D) All of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which view of justice and the state argues that states and governments are legitimate only to the degree they are formed and supported by the mutual agreement of the citizens of that state?

A) Divine Right of Kings
B) Machiavelli
C) The social contract
D) Sociological jurisprudence

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Thomas Hobbes's book Leviathan outlined his idea of the social contract. According to his view:

A) People are basically good and give priority to the well-being of others.
B) People are guided by self-interest and voluntarily agree to form a society to avoid chaos and war.
C) Most leaders of society exploit and mistreat the people they govern.
D) Political leaders should sign written agreements to govern fairly and they should be punished if they violate those agreements.

Question 5

Which view of justice and the state assumes that society exists before the state is formed?

A) Divine Right of Kings
B) Machiavelli
C) The social contract
D) Sociological jurisprudence

Question 6

Which view of the nature of law sees law as coming from those in power?

A) Natural law
B) Positivism
C) Sociological jurisprudence
D) None of these

Question 7

Libertarians are willing to sacrifice individual freedom in exchange for equality for all citizens in such things as housing and income.

Question 8

Natural rights include the right to:

A) Food and shelter
B) An education
C) Life and the pursuit of happiness
D) Live without fear of violence

Question 9

In early wars, fighting was between competing armies and ordinary citizens were left alone.

Question 10

Generally, the concept of just war:

A) Prohibits preventive war - going to war early to neutralize a future aggressor
B) Does not exist - there is no such thing as a just war
C) Allows a nation to target and kill civilians who are not involved in conflict
D) Has never been recognized by the Catholic Church, which opposes all war

Question 11

Regarding war, what is meant by the concept of the "evil few"?

A) Only a small number of soldiers enjoy the act of killing.
B) Only a few people are responsible for starting a war. Most people are innocent citizens who are brought into the situation.
C) Most soldiers follow the rules of war, and only a small number violate those rules.
D) Those who become traitors to their country

Question 12

The crime control perspective on criminal justice:

A) Argues that too much efficiency in the criminal justice system may not be a good thing
B) Operates under the presumption that the arrested person is innocent until proven guilty
C) Holds that it is important to limit or control the behavior of police and others in the criminal justice system
D) Shows a great concern for the victim and presumes that the accused is probably guilty

Question 13

Regarding punishment in criminal justice, those who justify punishment on the basis of retributivism would argue that:

A) Punishment should be determined by the amount of good it will do society
B) Punishment should be determined by the extent to which the offender is truly sorry for what they have done
C) The death penalty can never be justified
D) The level of punishment should be in proportion to the severity of the offense

Question 14

The utilitarian perspective on punishment in the criminal justice system would argue that:

A) Prisoners should have to work to pay for the cost of keeping them in prison
B) Punishments should be up to the offender's victim
C) Decisions about punishment should be based on a cost/benefit analysis of the suffering caused versus the social gains achieved
D) Punishments should be based on teachings in the Bible

Question 15

Is there a difference between retribution and revenge?

A) No, they are the same.
B) Yes, revenge is personal, retribution is not.
C) Yes, revenge has nothing to do with justice.
D) Yes, retribution is a legitimate response to crime, but the courts have ruled that retribution is not.

Question 16

The death penalty:

A) Has been shown to effectively deter others from committing murder
B) Is no longer practiced in most of Europe
C) Has been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court
D) All of these