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The Police in America, 4/e

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

Foundations

The Contemporary Lax Enforcement Industry

Multiple Choice Quiz

Choose the best answer:


1	Law enforcement in the United States is
		A)	large and extremely complex.
		B)	becoming smaller.
		C)	the same as it was twenty years ago.
		D)	becoming less complex.
		E)	needed less today than in the past.


2	Several basic features characterize the law enforcement industry. Most important is
		A)	federal control.
		B)	a high degree of centralization.
		C)	the tradition of local political control.
		D)	unlimited funding.
		E)	no connection with any federal agency.


3	American policing is highly
		A)	fragmented.
		B)	centralized.
		C)	highly unified.
		D)	basically always the same.
		E)	incomprehensible.


4	Fragmentation of American law enforcement produces
		A)	similarities among police departments.
		B)	less cost for law enforcement.
		C)	no variety among police agencies.
		D)	a tremendous variety of police services and departments.
		E)	a total lack of coordination among law enforcement agencies.


5	On a typical day, the average citizen
		A)	does not need a police service.
		B)	only receives local police protection.
		C)	receives police services from several different agencies.
		D)	does not know that one is receiving a police service.
		E)	has a conversation with a police officer.


6	How many kinds of government agencies have some responsibility for enforcing the law and/or providing protection?
		A)	Few.
		B)	None.
		C)	Many.
		D)	Only federal.
		E)	Only state and local.


7	The legal status of peace officer is defined by
		A)	custom.
		B)	history.
		C)	statute.
		D)	executive order.
		E)	Supreme Court decisions.


8	A citizen's arrest
		A)	has never happened.
		B)	is not legal.
		C)	can take place in all countries except England.
		D)	is not supported by any common law doctrine.
		E)	is available to English citizens.


9	The number of federal law enforcement agencies is
		A)	decreasing.
		B)	the same as in the nineteenth century.
		C)	the same as the number of state police agencies.
		D)	unknown.
		E)	identified as 16 that employ 500 or more sworn officers.


10	The typical police department is
		A)	non-existent.
		B)	very large.
		C)	not noticed.
		D)	small.
		E)	unimportant.


11	The number of state and local offices
		A)	hs decreased significantly.
		B)	has grown significantly.
		C)	is equal to the number of federal officers.
		D)	had no effect on crime in the 1990s.
		E)	has been rising very slowly.


12	Which of the following provided federal funds to hire 100,000 new officers in 1994?
		A)	The Violent Crime Control Act.
		B)	The Mann Act.
		C)	The Harrison Act.
		D)	The Omnibus Crime Control Act.
		E)	The Brady Bill.


13	The process of replacing sworn officers with non-sworn personnel
		A)	has never taken place.
		B)	is illegal.
		C)	is not beneficial.
		D)	is decreasing.
		E)	is increasing.


14	The standard measure for the level of police protection in a community is the
		A)	amount of money spent on law enforcement.
		B)	police population ratio.
		C)	amount of federal assistance.
		D)	amount of time devoted to patrol.
		E)	The amount of requests for police services from the general public.


15	Law enforcement
		A)	is decreasing in expense.
		B)	is just as expensive as it was twenty years ago.
		C)	receives no federal aid on the local level.
		D)	is an extremely expensive enterprise.
		E)	on the local level spends an identical amount as the state police.


16	Identify the most important component of American law enforcement.
		A)	Federal law enforcement.
		B)	State law enforcement.
		C)	Private security agencies.
		D)	County law enforcement.
		E)	Municipal or city police.


17	Which of the following is most representative of policing in America?
		A)	Big departments like New York or Los Angeles.
		B)	Medium-size police departments.
		C)	Federal agencies.
		D)	State agencies.
		E)	Small departments.


18	County police
		A)	do not exist.
		B)	perform only non-law enforcement roles.
		C)	are unlike the municipal police.
		D)	are essentially municipal police.
		E)	exist in most areas.


19	Historically, who has been the most powerful politician in rural areas of the county?
		A)	The constable.
		B)	The coroner.
		C)	The Justice of the Peace.
		D)	The sheriff.
		E)	The county clerk.


20	The most comprehensive source of data on American law enforcement agents is
		A)	the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics.
		B)	the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports.
		C)	state government reports concerning crime.
		D)	county annual reports.
		E)	private agency reports.

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