Deck 13: Conclusions

Question 1

Certain industries are distinguished by means and opportunities that are conducive to crime. These factors include all of the following except:

A)large amounts of money changing hands.
B)individual decision-making.
C)public attention on business activities of industry.
D)absence of government regulation.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The richest ___________ % of Americans now own more wealth than the bottom 95%.

A)5
B)1
C)10
D)20

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Corporate criminals also cast themselves in characters in the folklore of capitalism. In this myth they are:

A)simply ahead of their time and misunderstood.
B)smarter than competitors.
C)more wily and strategic than others.
D)harder-working than rivals.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Gresham Sykes and David Matza posit that ___________ techniques make it possible for white-collar criminals to annul guilt.

A)discounting
B)explaining
C)neutralization
D)substantiation

Question 5

One of the five common techniques to annul guilt is denial of victim, where:

A)perpetrators claim to be victims.
B)perpetrators claim that there has been no direct suffering.
C)perpetrators claim to be trying to achieve a more important purpose.
D)perpetrators claim that those injured deserved what happened to them.

Question 6

Overstating earnings make all of the following appear more justifiable, except:

A)exorbitant salaries.
B)perks.
C)bonuses.
D)extravagant company medical benefits.

Question 7

Economist Milton Freidman states that people are ___________ guided by rational self interest in free markets.

A)self-interested consumers
B)utility maximizers
C)do-gooders
D)selfish citizens

Question 8

Under the psychopathic wealth explanation of white-collar crime, previous generations are characterized as having all of the following characteristics except that they are:

A)more entrepreneurial.
B)willing to patiently wait for wealth.
C)conformist.
D)possessing modest expectations.

Question 9

All of the following could provide motivation in a criminogenic industry except:

A)raises.
B)bonuses.
C)comp time.
D)stock options.

Question 10

In the world of high-stakes cheating in high-stakes testing, all of the following are tied to teachers and administrators providing a little extra help to test-takers except:

A)accreditation.
B)enabling students to graduate.
C)bonuses.
D)jobs.

Question 11

One of the five common techniques to annul guilt is denial of responsibility, where:

A)perpetrators claim that those injured deserved what happened to them.
B)perpetrators claim that things happened because of factors over which they had no control.
C)perpetrators claim to be victims.
D)perpetrators claim to be trying to achieve a more important purpose.

Question 12

Commentators have suggested that white-collar crime flourishes because of the ___________ reaction of law enforcement.

A)over-
B)dramatic
C)nonexistent
D)tepid

Question 13

In recent years the earnings gap between CEOs and employees has:

A)widened.
B)diminished.
C)nearly disappeared.
D)remained stagnant.

Question 14

When some individuals engage in white-collar crime, though they are breaking the law, they often ___________ cultural values.

A)conforming to
B)showing ambivalence toward
C)rejecting
D)demonstrating ignorance of

Question 15

Between 1998 and 2003, nearly ___________ public corporations were forced to correct financial statements.

A)5,000
B)100
C)400
D)1,000

Question 16

One of the five common techniques to annul guilt is condemning the condemners, where:

A)perpetrators claim to be victims.
B)perpetrators claim that those injured deserved what happened to them.
C)perpetrators claim that there has been no direct suffering.
D)perpetrators claim to be trying to achieve a more important purpose.

Question 17

Of the following the best example of occupational crime would be:

A)hot checks.
B)embezzlement.
C)theft from an ATM.
D)savings and loan fraud.

Question 18

American Airlines CEO Carty lost his bonus and was forced to resign when ___________ disclosed a proposal to raise salaries and pay enormous bonuses to select executives at a time when the company had lost billions and employees were asked to take pay cuts.

A)media
B)government regulators
C)politicians
D)plaintiffs' lawyers

Question 19

The authors of the text focus on three basic levels of sociological analysis. These three levels include all of the following except:

A)societies.
B)institutions.
C)individuals.
D)organizations.

Question 20

One of the five common techniques to annul guilt is denial of injury, where:

A)perpetrators claim to be victims.
B)perpetrators claim to be trying to achieve a more important purpose.
C)perpetrators claim that those injured deserved what happened to them.
D)perpetrators claim that there has been no direct suffering.

Question 21

Comparative leniency extended to white-collar criminals, in contrast to street criminals, can be explained by all of the following except:

A)difference in resources.
B)victims' lives are not affected.
C)victims are either the government or large groups of individuals.
D)education and occupational prestige.

Question 22

The General Accounting Office has estimated that nearly 10% of the $1 trillion spent by Americans on health care is lost to fraud and abuse.

Question 23

Losses attributed to white-collar crime are passed along to taxpayers and customer.

Question 24

Of the following, the best example of a corporate crime would be:

A)savings and loan fraud.
B)hot checks.
C)embezzlement.
D)theft from and ATM.

Question 25

James Olis, a former director of Dynegy, turned down a plea bargain.Because of the new sentencing guidelines for white-collar criminals the end result of his criminal case was that:

A)he received a much longer sentence.
B)the guidelines had no effect.
C)he received a much lighter sentence.
D)the validity of the guidelines was questioned.

Question 26

The Republican 1994 Contract with America may have unintended consequences favorable to the commission of white-collar crime. The contract provisions favorable to white-collar crime included all of the following except:

A)costly regulations involving the environment, consumer safety, and worker safety to be eliminated.
B)lawsuit awards for securities fraud being easier to collect.
C)capping of product liability rewards.
D)legislation proposed to downgrade Securities and Exchange watchdog function.

Question 27

One of the five common techniques to annul guilt is denial of injury, where perpetrators claim to be trying to achieve a more important purpose.

Question 28

The shift of white-collar crime losses from the rich to others result in what kind of tax?

A)Progressive
B)Graduated
C)Flat
D)Regressive

Question 29

The General Accounting Office has estimated that nearly ___________ % of the $1 trillion spent by Americans on health care is lost to fraud and abuse.

A)5
B)10
C)20
D)1

Question 30

Diffusion accountability is a common byproduct of fiscal irresponsibility. This results in higher interest rates and higher prices for goods and services-consumers pay more. The burden falls disproportionately on:

A)the poor.
B)the upper class.
C)nobody; it is evenly distributed.
D)the middle class.

Question 31

According to Robert Merton's formulation, the standard of material success is not an objective one, but exists on a sliding scale.

Question 32

Wealth maximization theorists argue that white-collar criminals suffer collateral consequences that street criminals do not. Which one of the following consequences do white-collar criminals actually suffer?

A)None
B)Social stigmatization
C)Loss of wealth
D)Difficulty in securing jobs

Question 33

In recent years, the earnings gap between CEOs and employees has diminished.

Question 34

One of the five common techniques to annul guilt is condemning the condemners, where perpetrators claim to be victims.

Question 35

Conventional theories of crime have a tautological quality to them. Criminality is defined using the same terms as are used for causal factors. The term circular may be substituted for tautological.

Question 36

Losses attributable to white-collar crime are passed along to taxpayers and customers. This results in what segment of society paying the cost of white-collar crime?

A)Corporations
B)The wealthy
C)The poor
D)The middle class

Question 37

Many of America's corporate elite believe that they are entitled to all of the benefits of the free market, with none of the risks.

Question 38

There is very little corporate leniency extended to white-collar criminals.

Question 39

Embezzlement would be an example of a corporate crime.

Question 40

Gresham Sykes and David Matza call "techniques of substantiation" mechanisms that allow offenders to annul any potential guilt or internal conflict stemming from conduct on their part that breaks the law.

Question 41

The term ________________ might be substituted for tautological.

Question 42

What is meant by the term "psychopathic wealth"? How does it pertain to white-collar crime?

Question 43

The shift of white-collar crime losses from the rich to others resulted in a ________________ tax.

Question 44

One proposal to counter white-collar crime is for "excessive transparency." This would require disclosure of executive dealings with competitor companies.

Question 45

According to Gresham Sykes and David Matza, ________________ techniques make it possible for white-collar criminals to annul guilt.

Question 46

In recent years, the earnings gap between CEOs and employees has ________________.

Question 47

The three levels of sociological analysis are societies, institutions, and ________________.

Question 48

What are the difficulties in defining white-collar criminality through the use of conventional theories of crime?

Question 49

Diffusion of accountability is a common byproduct of fiscal irresponsibility.

Question 50

Distinguish between corporate crime and occupational crime. Give examples of each.

Question 51

Discuss the three categories concerning the serious effect of white-collar crime. Provide examples of the effects in each category.

Question 52

James W.Coleman argues that the source of white-collar crime is the culture of ________________.

Question 53

Embezzlement would be an example of ________________ crime.

Question 54

In addition to the environmental damage, the human destruction, and the economic losses, there are less tangible but other very serious consequences of white-collar crime.

Question 55

Recent corporate scandals reveal that some greedy CEOs and other top executives have ________________ inflated the value of their firms' assets.

Question 56

Why does white-collar crime often appear to be a rational course of action?

Question 57

Solomon Smith Barney was the major Wall Street firm that continued to sell questionable securities to Orange County after warning of risks.

Question 58

There are questions as to why white-collar criminals suffer so little of the ________________ experienced by street criminals.

Question 59

In addition to the environmental damage, the human destruction, and the economic losses, there are less tangible but other very serious ________________ consequences of white-collar crime.

Question 60

Evaluate legal changes that have been made to combat white-collar crime. Do you think laws that have provided tougher penalties for white-collar crimes serve as a general deterrent to potential criminals?

Question 61

Identify the factors that contribute to the comparative leniency shown to white-collar offenders.Offer solutions that you think would help.