Deck 28: The Economics of Crime

Question 1

A rational criminal model assumes

A)criminals commit crimes because they have few legal opportunities.
B)will commit fewer crimes if the likelihood of getting caught rises.
C)will commit fewer crimes if the severity of punishment rises.
D)all of the options are correct.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Under the rational criminal model, an increase in the punishment associated with getting convicted will

A)increase crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decrease crime.
D)reduce the caseload in the appellate court system.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

An example of the type of crime that is contemplated by the rational criminal model is

A)rape.
B)spousal abuse.
C)car theft.
D)school shooting.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Under the rational criminal model, a decrease in the legal income producing opportunities available to a population will

A)increase crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decrease crime.
D)simple shift crime from white-collar to blue-collar crime.

Question 5

An example of the type of crime that is contemplated by the rational criminal model is

A)rape.
B)spousal abuse.
C)school shooting.
D)murder for hire.

Question 6

Under the rational criminal model, a decrease in the probability of getting caught will

A)increase crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decrease crime.
D)increase unemployment among pro bono defense attorneys.

Question 7

Under the rational criminal model, a decrease in the punishment associated with getting convicted will

A)increase crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decrease crime.
D)increase the caseload in the appellate court system.

Question 8

Under the rational criminal model, an increase in the probability of getting caught will

A)increase crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decrease crime.
D)generate more income for pro bono defense attorneys.

Question 9

Crime in the U.S. is committed disproportionately by

A)legal immigrants.
B)minorities.
C)Asian-Americans.
D)whites.

Question 10

When blacks are murdered it is typically at the hands of

A)whites.
B)other blacks.
C)an equal division of blacks and whites.
D)the races in rough proportion to their population.

Question 11

A rational criminal model assumes

A)criminals commit crimes because they have more legal opportunities.
B)will commit fewer crimes if the likelihood of getting caught rises.
C)will commit more crimes if the severity of punishment rises.
D)smart people commit crime.

Question 12

Which of the following is not an example of a crime contemplated by the rational criminal model?

A)Rape.
B)Car theft.
C)Insurance fraud.
D)Murder for hire.

Question 13

An example of the type of crime that is contemplated by the rational criminal model is

A)prostitution.
B)spousal abuse.
C)rape.
D)school shooting.

Question 14

When whites are murdered it is typically at the hands of

A)other whites.
B)blacks.
C)an equal division of blacks and whites.
D)the races in rough proportion to their population.

Question 15

An example of the type of crime that is contemplated by the rational criminal model is

A)rape.
B)drug dealing.
C)spousal abuse.
D)school shooting.

Question 16

Crime victims in the U.S. are disproportionately

A)whites.
B)minorities.
C)Asian-Americans.
D)legal immigrants.

Question 17

A rational criminal model assumes

A)criminals commit crimes because they have few legal opportunities.
B)will commit more crimes if the likelihood of getting caught rises.
C)will commit more crimes if the severity of punishment rises.
D)smart people commit crime.

Question 18

Under the rational criminal model, an increase in the legal income producing opportunities available to a population will

A)increase crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decrease crime.
D)simply shift crime from blue-collar to white-collar crime.

Question 19

A rational criminal model assumes

A)criminals commit crimes because they have more legal opportunities.
B)will commit more crimes if the likelihood of getting caught rises.
C)will commit fewer crimes if the severity of punishment rises.
D)smart people commit crime.

Question 20

Which of the following is not an example of a crime contemplated by the rational criminal model?

A)Murder for hire.
B)Car theft.
C)Insurance fraud.
D)School shooting.

Question 21

The economic intuition behind the connection between abortion and crime rates is based on the idea that

A)women who choose abortion do not want the child and, if compelled to raise it would be poorer and do a poorer job at parenting, increasing the likelihood the child would grow up to be a criminal.
B)the Supreme Court decision removing most limits on abortion made the country more peaceful.
C)women instinctively know when a child will grow up to be a criminal and are more likely to abort those they believe will grow up to be criminals.
D)abortion is a moral prerogative of women.

Question 22

If the poverty rate increases because of a general decline in the economic standing of lower income people, the rational criminal model would predict

A)increased crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decreased crime.
D)reduced social worker caseloads.

Question 23

There are _____ Americans in local, state and federal prisons and jails.

A)200,000
B)2,300,000
C)10,000,000
D)100,000,000

Question 24

Of the following explanations for while crime fell from 1990 to 2014 which does the Brennan Center suggest had an impact in the 1990s but not after?

A)Higher rates of incarceration.
B)The increase in the number of police.
C)Longer effective sentences.
D)All of these.

Question 25

In 2014, ______ Americans were arrested.

A)400,000
B)1,600,000
C)11,200,000
D)140,000,000

Question 26

Of the following explanations for while crime fell from 1990 to 2014 which does the Brennan Center suggest had an impact in the 1990s but not after?

A)Higher rates of incarceration.
B)The decrease in the number of police.
C)Shorter effective sentences.
D)CompStat usage.

Question 27

Which of the following is not an example of a crime contemplated by the rational criminal model?

A)Murder for hire.
B)Spousal abuse.
C)Insurance fraud.
D)Car theft.

Question 28

Economist Steven Levitt argues the Supreme Court decision ______ had an impact on reducing crime during the 1990s because it is associated with "wantedness".

A)on abortion
B)on prayer in schools
C)on gay marriage
D)school bussing

Question 29

Which of the following reasons offered for why crime fell in the 1990s does the Brennan Center suggest had no impact?

A)Higher rates of incarceration.
B)Longer effective sentences.
C)The increase in the number of police.
D)The increased use of community policing.

Question 30

Which of the following reasons offered for why crime fell in the 1990s does the Brennan Center suggest had no impact?

A)Higher rates of incarceration.
B)The increase in the number of police.
C)Longer effective sentences.
D)The increased use of the death penalty.

Question 31

Of the following explanations for while crime fell from 1990 to 2014 which does the Brennan Center suggest had an impact in the 1990s but not after?

A)Lower rates of incarceration.
B)The increase in the number of police.
C)Shorter effective sentences.
D)CompStat usage.

Question 32

Whether it is the linkage to increases in the prevalence of abortion in the 1970s or the laws reducing lead from paint and gasoline during that time, economists

A)are convinced that these are the real causes of crime.
B)think these may explain a portion of the crime issue but you have to be very careful to avoid the fallacy of composition.
C)think these may explain a portion of the crime issue but you have to be very careful to avoid the fallacy that correlation and causation are the same.
D)a generally skeptical that anything that occurred in the 1970s could explain something that occurred 20 years later.

Question 33

Which of the following is not an example of a crime contemplated by the rational criminal model?

A)Murder for hire.
B)Car theft.
C)Assault.
D)Insurance fraud.

Question 34

Which of the following reasons offered for why crime fell in the 1990s does the Brennan Center suggest had a significant impact?

A)The increased number of police.
B)The increased use of the community policing.
C)The increased use of gun buyback programs.
D)The increased use of the death penalty.

Question 35

Which of the following reasons offered for why crime fell in the 1990s the Brennan Center suggest had a significant impact?

A)The increased effective length of prison sentences.
B)The increased use of the community policing.
C)The increased use of gun buyback programs.
D)The increased use of the death penalty.

Question 36

Which of the following reasons offered for why crime fell in the 1990s does the Brennan Center suggest had a significant impact?

A)Higher rates of incarceration.
B)The increased use of the community policing.
C)The increased use of gun buyback programs.
D)The increased use of the death penalty.

Question 37

If the poverty rate declines because of a general increase in the economic standing of lower income people, the rational criminal model would predict

A)increased crime.
B)have no effect on crime.
C)decreased crime.
D)increased social worker caseloads.

Question 38

The Brennan Center listed several explanations that accounted for decreases in crime in the 1990s but argued that the impact did not account for decreases in from 2000 to 2014. What economic concept would account for this?

A)Increasing returns.
B)Diminishing returns.
C)The irrelevance of fixed cost.
D)Opportunity cost.

Question 39

Of the following explanations for while crime fell from 1990 to 2014 which does the Brennan Center suggest had an impact in the 1990s but not after?

A)Lower rates of incarceration.
B)The decrease in the number of police.
C)Longer effective sentences.
D)CompStat usage.

Question 40

Which of the following reasons offered for why crime fell in the 1990s does the Brennan Center suggest had no impact?

A)Higher rates of incarceration.
B)Longer effective sentences.
C)The increase in the number of police.
D)The increased use of gun buyback programs.

Question 41

To an economist, the question of whether the right type of criminals are in jail hinges on

A)the likelihood they will commit their particular crime ever again if released.
B)whether the jail cell would be better utilized housing someone more dangerous.
C)the severity of the offenses the criminals committed to get them in jail.
D)whether criminals show remorse.

Question 42

The costs borne by an individual victim of theft can diverge from the social costs if the

A)stolen items were priceless.
B)stolen items were recovered for the victim by the police.
C)stolen items were destroyed by the thief.
D)all of the options are correct.

Question 43

The realization that only a small portion of criminals commit the majority of crimes suggests that as you devote resources to the criminal justice system the

A)total cost always decreases.
B)total benefit quickly decreases.
C)marginal benefit quickly decreases.
D)marginal cost sharply decreases.

Question 44

The present value analysis of the death penalty

A)shows that the death penalty is quite cost effective in its punishment and economists, almost universally, embrace it for that reason.
B)shows that the death penalty is quite cost effective in its punishment though for a variety of reasons economists are split on the wisdom of the policy.
C)shows that the death penalty is not cost effective in its punishment and economists, almost universally reject it for that reason.
D)shows that the death penalty is not cost effective in its punishment though for a variety of reasons economists are split on the wisdom of the policy.

Question 45

Of the people arrested in 2014 in the U.S., _______ got some jail time.

A)36,000
B)626,644
C)3,600,000
D)36,000,000

Question 46

Suppose you are a mayor of a city with a police force of 100 and an annual budget of $8 million. Now suppose your police chief asks for an additional officer with an additional annual expenditure of $50,000 for salary, benefits and equipment. If you are thinking like an economist, you will agree to the request if the chief can demonstrate that

A)crime will be reduced.
B)the total amount spent on police protection is worth $8,050,000.
C)the average amount of safety produced per officer is more than $50,000.
D)the additional officer will produce at least $50,000 worth of extra safety annually.

Question 47

The proper economic method of selecting a sentence length would be to

A)compare the reduction in the total cost of (marginal cost)crime being perpetrated by the offender if released a year earlier with the reduction in incarceration costs (marginal benefit)for that shorter sentence.
B)compare the total cost of crime being perpetrated by the offender if released a year earlier with the incarceration costs for that shorter sentence.
C)compare the average cost of crime being perpetrated by the average offender if released a year earlier with the average incarceration costs for that shorter sentence.
D)poll pro bono defense attorneys and follow their recommendation.

Question 48

The present value analysis of the death penalty

A)compares the present value of a human life with the present value of adjudication and execution costs.
B)compares the present value of a human life with the present value of the cost of lifelong incarceration.
C)compares the present value of adjudication and execution costs with the present value of the cost of holding them in prison for life.
D)considers exclusively the probability of executing innocent people.

Question 49

Criminologists and economists estimate that the average criminal commits _______crimes per year.

A)1 to 5
B)5 to 10
C)10 to 180
D)200 to 1000

Question 50

The optimal level of crime control is achieved where

A)the marginal reduction in the expected cost of crime equals the marginal cost of prevention.
B)the average reduction in the expected cost of crime equals the average cost of prevention.
C)the total reduction in the expected cost of crime equals the total cost of prevention.
D)the police officers' association is satisfied.

Question 51

Among the most difficult costs of crime to evaluate might be the

A)costs of law enforcement activities undertaken because of the crime.
B)market value of material possessions stolen, damaged or destroyed.
C)deterioration in quality of life due to physical injury.
D)wages lost due to missed work days following an assault.

Question 52

The estimated costs per crime in the U.S. are

A)less than $50 even considering "pain and suffering".
B)around $1,000 when excluding "pain and suffering".
C)between $1,000 to $10,000 when including "pain and suffering".
D)around $1,000 when excluding "pain and suffering" cluster around $15,000 when including "pain and suffering".

Question 53

A cost-benefit analysis of the death penalty and lifetime incarceration must consider

A)the expected present value of the total costs of the two punishment methods to the government.
B)the costs borne by the victims of the crime.
C)the effects upon police morale.
D)all of the options are correct.

Question 54

Among the simplest costs of crime to evaluate are typically the

A)psychological trauma suffered by victims of sexual assault.
B)deterioration in quality of life due to physical injury.
C)risk that future productivity at work might be compromised by an injury.
D)wages lost due to missed work days following an assault.

Question 55

Marginal benefit-marginal cost analysis suggests that we spend too much money incarcerating

A)young criminals.
B)female criminals.
C)male criminals.
D)elderly criminals.

Question 56

All totaled local, state and federal governments spend ______ on police, the judiciary and prisons.

A)$214 million
B)$21.4 billion
C)$265 billion
D)$19.7 trillion

Question 57

The realization that only a small portion of criminals commit the majority of crimes suggests that as you devote more resources to the criminal justice system the

A)total cost always decreases.
B)total benefit quickly decreases.
C)marginal benefit quickly increases.
D)marginal cost sharply increases.

Question 58

Among the most difficult costs of crime to evaluate might be the

A)psychological trauma suffered by victims of sexual assault.
B)costs of law enforcement activities undertaken because of the crime.
C)market value of material possessions stolen, damaged or destroyed.
D)wages lost due to missed work days following an assault.

Question 59

The costs borne by an individual victim of theft can diverge from the social costs if the

A)stolen items were covered by insurance.
B)stolen items were priceless.
C)stolen items were destroyed by the thief.
D)all of the options are correct.

Question 60

Average annual per convict incarceration costs run about

A)$5,000.
B)$12,000.
C)$31,000
D)$51,250.

Question 61

The magnitude of intangible losses can sometimes be estimated by investigating the average

A)compensation awarded by juries in civil cases of wrongful death and personal injury.
B)dollar amounts paid by insurance companies as reimbursement for property losses.
C)annual costs borne by victims of white collar crimes such as embezzlement.
D)annual incomes of police detectives and private investigators.

Question 62

The magnitude of intangible losses can sometimes be estimated by investigating the average

A)annual incomes of police detectives and private investigators.
B)dollar amounts paid by insurance companies as reimbursement for property losses.
C)annual costs borne by victims of white collar crimes such as embezzlement.
D)dollar amounts individuals willingly pay to reduce their chance of being a victim.