Question 1

What is white collar crime and how is it committed?

Accepted Answer

White collar crime refers to non-violent, financially motivated crimes typically committed by business professionals and government officials. This type of crime is often characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust and is usually committed for financial gain.

White collar crimes can take many forms, including embezzlement, insider trading, bribery, fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. These crimes are often committed through manipulation of financial records, exploitation of loopholes in regulations, or abuse of positions of power.

For example, embezzlement may involve a company executive siphoning off funds from company accounts for personal use, while insider trading may involve a corporate insider using non-public information to make stock trades for personal profit.

Overall, white collar crimes are typically committed through sophisticated and deceptive means, often exploiting the trust and confidence of others for personal financial gain. These crimes can have far-reaching consequences for individuals, businesses, and the economy as a whole.

Question 2

What are the types of police corruption? What industries support police corruption and what are the other kinds of supports fostering police corruption?

Accepted Answer

Police corruption can take various forms, including bribery, extortion, abuse of power, and collusion with criminal organizations. Some of the industries that support police corruption include the drug trade, illegal gambling, and human trafficking. These industries often seek to bribe or coerce police officers into turning a blind eye to their illegal activities or actively participating in them.

In addition to these industries, there are other kinds of support that foster police corruption. This can include a lack of oversight and accountability within police departments, a culture of silence and loyalty that discourages officers from reporting misconduct, and a lack of resources and training for officers to resist the temptations of corruption. Furthermore, political and institutional corruption can also play a role in enabling and perpetuating police corruption.

Overall, police corruption is a complex issue that is supported by a variety of factors, and addressing it requires a multi-faceted approach that targets both the root causes and the enablers of corruption.

Question 3

In what ways can corporate be considered deviant? What are the effects of price fixing? Name the questionable dealer practices found in the automotive industry and in the meat packing industry.

Accepted Answer

Corporate deviance can manifest in various ways, such as engaging in illegal or unethical behavior to maximize profits or gain a competitive advantage. One common form of corporate deviance is price fixing, where companies collude to set prices at artificially high levels, thereby reducing competition and harming consumers. The effects of price fixing can include higher prices for consumers, reduced choices in the marketplace, and a lack of innovation and efficiency.

In the automotive industry, questionable dealer practices can include deceptive advertising, misleading sales tactics, and the sale of defective or unsafe vehicles. These practices can harm consumers by leading them to make uninformed purchasing decisions and putting their safety at risk.

In the meat packing industry, questionable practices can include the mistreatment of animals, unsanitary conditions in processing plants, and the mislabeling of products. These practices can have negative effects on animal welfare, public health, and consumer trust in the industry.

Overall, corporate deviance in these industries can have wide-ranging negative effects on consumers, competitors, and society as a whole. It is important for companies to adhere to ethical and legal standards in their business practices to ensure fair and transparent market competition and protect the well-being of consumers and the public.

Question 4

What are Clinard and Yeager's recommendations for controlling corporate deviance?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are Clinard and Yeager's recommendations for...

Question 5

In what ways does organized crime resemble legitimate business What are the characteristics of organized crime? What roles, historically, have immigrant populations had in the development of organized crime and why? What are the profit sources for organized crime?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In what ways does organized crime resemble...

Question 6

It is estimated that the annual loss from employee theft is approximately $8 billion.

Accepted Answer

The estimated annual loss from employee theft is significantly higher, often cited around $50 billion in the United States.

Question 7

Employees who felt that their employers were genuinely concerned with the workers' best interests reported the least theft.

Accepted Answer

This statement suggests that when employees feel that their employers care about their well-being, they are less likely to engage in theft.

Question 8

Donald R. Cressey says that in order for someone to violate their position of financial trust, only two things must occur: they must define a financial problem as non-shareable and realize the possibility of resolving it by embezzlement.

Accepted Answer

Donald R. Cressey's Fraud Triangle theory posits that three factors must be present for someone to commit fraud: financial pressure (a non-shareable financial problem), opportunity (the realization that one can solve this problem through violation of trust), and rationalization (justifying the violation of trust as acceptable).

Question 9

The Knapp Commission found that the majority of corrupt police officers in New York were described as meat-eaters.

Accepted Answer

The Knapp Commission found that the majority of corrupt police officers were described as "grass-eaters," who passively accepted bribes and gratuities, rather than "meat-eaters," who aggressively sought out corrupt activities.

Question 10

The Knapp Commission found that gambling, narcotics, construction, "chop-shops," and bars were the main sources of police corruption.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Knapp Commission found that gambling, narcotics,...

Question 11

Support for police corruption is built into the law enforcement system because of public encouragement of corruption, police solidarity, and laws that encourage corruption.

Accepted Answer

Public encouragement of corruption comes in the form of police officers receiving favors or gifts from citizens, while police solidarity can lead officers to keep quiet about their colleagues' corrupt behavior. Laws that encourage corruption include the lack of transparency and accountability in police departments and the existence of loopholes in laws meant to punish corrupt officers.

Question 12

Over half of the 25 largest U.S. corporations have not been convicted of or have settled serious criminal charges against them in the last ten years.

Accepted Answer

Many of the largest U.S. corporations have indeed been involved in legal issues, including being convicted of or settling serious criminal charges, often related to financial misconduct, environmental violations, or other regulatory infractions within the last ten years.

Question 13

The Ford Company could have prevented approximately 180 "burn deaths" and 180 "serious burn injuries" annually by spending an additional $11 per car.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. In the 1970s, Ford conducted a cost-benefit analysis and discovered that spending an additional $11 per car to install a safer gas tank could prevent approximately 180 burn deaths and 180 serious burn injuries each year. However, the company ultimately decided not to make this change, leading to lawsuits and public criticism.

Question 14

It is permissible according to federal guidelines to allow sixty insect fragments or one rodent hair per 100 grams of chocolate.

Accepted Answer

According to the FDA's Food Defect Action Levels, it is allowed to have up to 60 insect fragments or one rodent hair per 100 grams of chocolate without it being considered a health hazard.

Question 15

The cost to society of property crimes far exceeds the cost of corporate crime.

Accepted Answer

Corporate crime often involves significant financial losses, regulatory violations, and can have widespread impacts on economies, public health, and safety, often exceeding the costs associated with property crimes which are generally more localized and involve smaller financial losses.

Question 16

The fact that corporate executives are almost immune from being held personally responsible for corporate actions promotes business deviance.

Accepted Answer

When corporate executives are not held personally responsible for corporate actions, they can engage in deviant behavior with little fear of consequences. This lack of accountability can create a culture where unethical or illegal behavior is tolerated or even encouraged, leading to a range of negative outcomes for both the company and society as a whole.

Question 17

An estimated 15 % of the costs of local and state political campaigns are financed by organized criminals.

Accepted Answer

According to a report by the National Institute of Justice, organized crime groups in the United States are estimated to finance around 15% of the costs of local and state political campaigns.

Question 18

Organized crime is part of an alliance between government and criminals.

Accepted Answer

There are instances where government officials have been found to collude with organized criminal groups, for example, through bribery, corruption, or turning a blind eye to their activities. This can create a symbiotic relationship between the two entities and enable organized crime to operate more freely.

Question 19

Organized crime had its birth with the passing to the Eighteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Accepted Answer

Organized crime existed long before the Eighteenth Amendment, with roots stretching back to various criminal organizations in the 19th century and earlier. The Eighteenth Amendment, which initiated Prohibition, significantly boosted the scale and profits of organized crime, but did not mark its beginning.

Question 20

The principal sources of income for organized crime are illegal goods and services, more specifically narcotics.

Accepted Answer

Organized crime groups make the majority of their income from the illegal drug trade. Other sources of income include human trafficking, prostitution and gambling, but the drug trade is by far the most lucrative.

Quiz 7: Deviance and Organizations