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The Police in America, 4/e

Samuel Walker, University of Nebraska
Charles M. Katz, Arizona State University-West

Foundations

Police and Society

Multiple Choice Quiz

Choose the best answer:


1	During which time did the "professional" style of policing prevail?
		A)	Before 1800.
		B)	During the 1840s.
		C)	During the Civil War.
		D)	During the Guilded Age.
		E)	Between 1900 and 1980.


2	Policing is
		A)	surrounded by few myths.
		B)	unchanging.
		C)	non-controversial.
		D)	really unnecessary.
		E)	surrounded by many myths and stereotypes.


3	The crime-fighting image of police
		A)	is not popular.
		B)	is true.
		C)	means police usually make felony arrests.
		D)	is of no concern to the public.
		E)	is not an accurate description of what the police do.


4	The myth of the crime-fighter
		A)	is not important to policing.
		B)	is seldom popularized.
		C)	is not noticed.
		D)	is a characteristic of the past and not present in contemporary society.
		E)	endures.


5	A typical night's work for a patrol officer
		A)	always includes reacting to serious crime.
		B)	is usually given extensive news coverage the next day by the media.
		C)	is always the same.
		D)	usually involves a great deal of citizen contact.
		E)	does not offer much in the way of dramatic “news.”


6	The crime fighter image
		A)	creates a number of serious problems
		B)	is not present.
		C)	is not important.
		D)	is really neglected by the police.
		E)	is no real problem.


7	Movies and TV shows
		A)	ignore the crime-fighter image of the police.
		B)	usually project the police as unsuccessful in fighting crime.
		C)	strengthen the impression that the police are highly successful in fighting crime.
		D)	are not allowed to project the crime-fighter role of the police.
		E)	relating to crime are on the decrease.


8	The reality of policing is that it
		A)	is not needed.
		B)	plays an extremely complex role in today’s society.
		C)	usually involves serious crime.
		D)	is not noticed.
		E)	is viewed the same way by all citizens.


9	How much discretion do police officers have?
		A)	None.
		B)	Complete.
		C)	We do not know.
		D)	A great deal.
		E)	Limited.


10	Why is the police role extremely complex?
		A)	There are a wide variety of tasks.
		B)	Police tasks are not appreciated by the general public.
		C)	Police responsibilities are not understood by many officers.
		D)	Public pressure always complicates an investigation.
		E)	Police seldom have the means to conduct a proper function.


11	Why does Sam Goldstein suggest that the police are an anomaly in a free society?
		A)	Because they really have no power.
		B)	Because few people are affected by the police.
		C)	Because all citizens make the same demands on the police.
		D)	Because they are the only public servants who have life and death power in the United States.
		E)	Because we expect them to exercise coercive force, and protect individual freedoms.


12	How do the police differ from other professionals such as teachers, social workers, and doctors?
		A)	They differ in terms of gender.
		B)	They are more likely to dislike their work.
		C)	They always lack certification.
		D)	They lack public support.
		E)	The police have the authority to use physical and other types of force to bring about compliance.


13	The authority of the police to use force
		A)	is unlimited.
		B)	has no legal consequences.
		C)	is never noticed.
		D)	is limited.
		E)	can be used in all disputes.


14	How do people generally react to police authority?
		A)	They generally defer to police authority.
		B)	They do not notice it.
		C)	They generally oppose it.
		D)	They always fear it.
		E)	We do not know.


15	How independent are the police in carrying out their responsibilities?
		A)	They are totally dependent.
		B)	They are seldom dependent.
		C)	They are heavily dependent.
		D)	They are only dependent on citizens in criminal matters.
		E)	They are only dependent on citizens in non-criminal matters.


16	Who were the primary agents of social control in the colonial period?
		A)	Native Americans
		B)	Military officers.
		C)	Clergymen.
		D)	Newspaper editors.
		E)	Citizens.


17	Identify the gatekeepers of the criminal justice system.
		A)	Probation officers.
		B)	Prosecutors.
		C)	Police.
		D)	Judges.
		E)	Defense attorneys.


18	What does the history of the police indicate about change in the law enforcement profession?
		A)	It has changed dramatically.
		B)	No changes have taken place
		C)	Change is not needed.
		D)	Change has no consequences.
		E)	Change is not recognizable.


19	The Zero Tolerance policy
		A)	was only carried out in very small communities.
		B)	had no obvious effect.
		C)	had no effect on the public’s view of the police.
		D)	had no financial effect.
		E)	raised the question of whether it is possible to have tough law enforcement while at the same time respecting the rights of citizens.


20	Team policing
		A)	was an old activity.
		B)	came about in the early 1950s.
		C)	involved no changes.
		D)	collapsed and vanished.
		E)	was accepted by only two departments.

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