Deck 2: Policing in American Context

Question 1

All of these are ways that other government officials and agencies can affect law enforcement agencies except which one?

A) hiring and firing the police chief
B) making funding decisions
C) making decisions that affect the activities of officers on patrol
D) disciplining a police officer

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which document ensures that the government of the United States cannot go too far without answering to the people?

A) the U.S. Constitution
B) the Bill of Rights
C) the Fourth Amendment
D) the Fifth Amendment

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Under what circumstances is a city council likely to approve a mayorʹs desire to fire the police chief without specific cause?

A) when the local government is of the strong-mayor type
B) when the replacement is known, so the department wonʹt be leaderless
C) when a new mayoral administration is taking office
D) when the police chief is older than sixty

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Most local governments, no matter what their form, include which element?

A) a council
B) a weak mayor
C) a strong mayor
D) a city manager

Question 5

Which of the following most typically happens immediately after booking?

A) bringing the suspect before a grand jury
B) placing the suspect in a holding cell
C) giving the suspect a breathalyzer test
D) having the suspect participate in a lineup

Question 6

Which of these was a key effect, on police departments, of passage of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994?

A) stricter penalties for violent crimes, keeping criminals off the streets longer
B) broadened powers for law enforcement, resulting in more convictions
C) longer penalties for first time offenders, dissuading juveniles from criminal activity
D) increased funding through grants to local agencies, allowing additional hiring

Question 7

Which is the best definition of democracy?

A) a form of government that vests supreme authority in the people
B) a form of government with elected officials who hold power
C) a form of government with a Congress
D) a form of government with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch

Question 8

Which best describes the role of a public information officer?

A) a police departmentʹs spokesman, responsible for fielding media inquiries
B) a police departmentʹs public relations person, responsible for department image
C) a police departmentʹs representative on the board of a news organization
D) a police departmentʹs specialist hired by media outlet

Question 9

How does federalism help facilitate democracy?

A) The federal government funds state activities.
B) It promotes participation at all levels of government.
C) Federal and state governments share powers in certain areas.
D) It divides the work of government among many agencies at many levels.

Question 10

Which of the following does not affect whether a trial is held?

A) the defendantʹs plea in response to the charges
B) the grand juryʹs decision to bring charges
C) the prosecutorʹs decision to bring charges
D) the severity of the charge, minor or serious

Question 11

Which police organization has the mission of promoting ʺglobal and cultural friendship among peace officersʺ?

A) International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
B) National Black Police Association
C) International Union of Police Associations (IUPA)
D) International Police Association (IPA)

Question 12

Under what conditions does a prosecutor decide to bring charges against a suspect?

A) if the crime is severe enough to warrant it
B) if the evidence is persuasive enough to be compelling
C) if the community is disturbed enough to demand justice
D) if the suspect is likely enough to plead guilty

Question 13

Which of these is NOT a phase in the criminal justice process?

A) the arrest phase
B) the pretrial phase
C) the trial phase
D) the after trial phase

Question 14

The fact that Americans disagree over whether eavesdropping on domestic phone conversations by federal antiterrorism investigators is necessary for security or a threat to democratic values demonstrates which ʺpillarʺ of democracy?

A) social, economic, and political pluralism
B) sovereignty of the people
C) constitutional limits on government
D) guarantee of basic human rights

Question 15

In jurisdictions in which a grand jury is used, police officers may be called upon to do which of the following?

A) testify before the grand jury
B) guard the suspect
C) present charges before the grand jury
D) search the suspect

Question 16

Which of the following is a significant difference between the convening of a grand jury and a criminal trial?

A) Police officers do not testify before grand juries.
B) The prosecutor has no role in a grand jury investigation.
C) Suspects are not present and cannot offer testimony in their defense.
D) Testimony presented before a grand jury cannot be used at the trial.

Question 17

What distinguishes dual federalism from federalism?

A) There are two centers of power, rather than one.
B) There are more meetings between levels of government.
C) Powers not vested in the federal government are left to the states.
D) Powers must be strictly divided, rather than shared out as needed.

Question 18

Which is a feature of federalism?

A) government based on the consent of the governed
B) social, economic, and political pluralism
C) power divided between a centralized body and constituent units
D) values of tolerance, pragmatism, cooperation, and compromise

Question 19

All of the following may be tasks of the police commission except which one?

A) reviewing department rules and regulations
B) shadowing officers to evaluate their performance
C) investigating charges of department wrongdoing
D) reviewing the chiefʹs proposed budget

Question 20

How long is the typical tenure of a law enforcement administrator?

A) short
B) medium
C) long
D) very long

Question 21

For every 4,000 to 5,000 citizens, there is roughly one sworn law enforcement officer.

Question 22

Since law enforcement administrators are appointed by elected officials, their success depends on ʺplaying politics.ʺ

Question 23

Minority rights are one of the features of democracy.

Question 24

Like the state and federal governments, the form of local government does not change, even though elected officials come and go.

Question 25

The second phase of the criminal justice system is the pretrial phase.

Question 26

By far, the most significant environmental factor in law enforcement is the community.

Question 27

The International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) is more accurately described as a lobbying organization than as a professional organization.

Question 28

Police organizations are influenced by all three branches of government.

Question 29

The investigating officers are involved in the sentencing phase of the criminal justice system.

Question 30

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has a research center that conducts police -related research and posts the results, usually online.

Question 31

Citizens can influence law enforcement organizations through the political process.

Question 32

Membership in the National Black Police Association is not open to officers who are not African -American.

Question 33

Police officers work more closely with corrections officials than with prosecutors.

Question 34

City councils are supposed to be apolitical.

Question 35

Federalism has resulted in a unified law enforcement system for the United States.

Question 36

Police are least involved in the phase of the criminal justice system that takes place after the trial.

Question 37

Police must meet specific legal requirements before they can enter a private residence.

Question 38

Peace officers may assist prosecutors as investigators.

Question 39

If the Constitution does not specifically vest a power in the states, it automatically belongs to the federal government.

Question 40

Law enforcement cannot protect citizens without their support.

Question 41

Match the organization with its description.
Column 1: International Association of
Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Column 2: international association for all executive officers

Question 42

Depending on the local form of government, the city council, the city manager, or the may have authority over city operations including, to a greater or lesser extent, the police department.

Question 43

To fully describe the American government, one must refer both to the fact that it is a democracy and also
mention that its government structure is characterized by .

Question 44

The elements of the organizational environment for the police include the community, government agencies, other police and criminal justice agencies, and the .

Question 45

In a large city, the executive body that sets policy for and oversees a police department is the police .

Question 46

The branch of government that influences the police through decisions that ʺtrickle downʺ is the
branch.

Question 47

A third of the population does not view the police favorably, and a significant percentage of that third is composed of .

Question 48

The blurring of oneʹs professional mission is known as mission .

Question 49

The branch of government that influences the police through grant funding is the branch.

Question 50

Controlling the presentation of information in order to achieve a desired public perception is known as
management.

Question 51

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: Police officers search the suspect.
Column 2: Second

Question 52

If a defendant pleads guilty, then a is not necessary.

Question 53

Tensions in the relationships between levels of law enforcement (federal, state, and local) can result in tensions over jurisdiction known as wars.

Question 54

Match the organization with its description.
Column 1: National Black Police
Association
Column 2: parent organization for all local and regional associations for black police professionals

Question 55

Achieving a balance between simply reporting facts, on the one hand, and putting a ʺspinʺ on facts to create a desired impression is called discipline.

Question 56

Match the organization with its description.
Column 1: International Union of Police
Associations (IUPA)
Column 2: international association for rank-and-file officers

Question 57

A key difference between the council-manager form of local government and the mayor-council form lies in whether or not they have a(n) manager.

Question 58

Probation officers and parole officers are two types of officials.

Question 59

Match the organization with its description.
Column 1: International Police
Association (IPA)
Column 2: worldʹs largest police professional organization

Question 60

A confederation differs from a federalist system in having no governing authority.

Question 61

Impression management can lead to inaccuracies in portrayals of police work, just as inaccurate media reports
can. Give examples of how this might happen.

Question 62

Law enforcement administrators are hired and fired by political authorities. What are the likely effects on how law enforcement administrators conduct themselves?

Question 63

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: The police present their case to the prosecutor.
Column 2: Fourth

Question 64

Explain how democracy, by its very nature, leads inevitably to crime. Give examples of how criminalsʹ
activities are facilitated by democracyʹs tenets.

Question 65

What types of factors might result in an unfavorable view of the police by citizens?

Question 66

Explain the interdependence between police officers and prosecutors.

Question 67

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: The defendant pleads not guilty.
Column 2: Sixth

Question 68

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: The case is set for trial.
Column 2: Seventh

Question 69

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: The prosecutor brings charges against the suspect.
Column 2: Fifth

Question 70

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: Police officers arrest a suspect.
Column 2: First

Question 71

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: Investigating and/or arresting police officers testify.
Column 2: Eighth

Question 72

Place these elements of one possible path through the criminal justice process in chronological order.
Column 1: The suspect is booked.
Column 2: Third