Exam Prep Privileged Deviance Chapter.14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: PRIVILEGED DEVIANCE

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Deviance committed by the relatively rich and powerful is called ______.

a) organized crime

b) white-collar crime

c) privileged deviance

d) normal deviance

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 364

2. Based on Sutherland’s classical definition, two things characterize white-collar crime, that it is occupationally related and it is a(n)

a) opportunist crime.

b) crime requiring considerable organization.

c) act of a relatively respectable, upper-class person.

d) act committed by middle- and working0class persons.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 364

3. In Sutherland’s view, white-collar criminals are exemplified by

a) factory workers.

b) muggers.

c) Mafia extortion.

d) business executives.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 365

4. According to the text, the heart of white-collar deviance is

a) how the act is executed.

b) the color of the deviant’s collar.

c) the relative seriousness of the act.

d) its relationship to street crimes.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 365

5. The two types of white-collar deviance are white-collar occupational deviance and

a) street-based deviance.

b) government deviance.

c) corporate deviance.

d) individual deviance.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 365

6. According to David Ermann and Richard Lundman, the most obvious and important reason for corporations’ tendency to be criminally negligent about their employees’ health and safety is

a) profit maximization.

b) the nature of corporate structure.

c) the federal government’s lack of earnest efforts to deter the deviances.

d) the skillfulness of corporate criminals.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 365-366

7. Dangerous foods and unsafe products are two examples of deviance against

a) employees.

b) the government.

c) the environment.

d) customers.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 366-367

8. Which is NOT one of the types of fraudulent practices that led to the savings and loan failures?

a) the manipulation of stocks by corporate investors

b) illegal nonbanking activities by S&L owners

c) collective embezzlement by S&L owners

d) covering up illegal practices

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 367

9. One major reason for fraudulent activities in the insurance industry that was not present in the banking industry was

a) the involvement of organized deviance.

b) even more inadequate government regulation.

c) even more criminal participation in managing the companies.

d) the unsettled nature of the insurance industry.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 368

10. The statement “Nestle makes the very best chocolate” is an example of

a) a corporate deviance.

b) a deviance against customers.

c) legal advertising.

d) consumer fraud.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 368

11. Joe is the president of a large but struggling corporation. In order to ensure profits, he secretly contacts several of his competitors and gets them all to agree to charge the same prices for their products. This practice is an example of

a) a fraud.

b) an antitrust violation.

c) phony assets

d) deceptive but not illegal practice.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 369

12. Much tax evasion by corporations is

a) not illegal.

b) detected and prosecuted.

c) the consequence of government harassment.

d) not economically significant.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 369-370

13. Which of the following statements about deviance against the government is FALSE?

a) The Internal Revenue Service is reluctant to investigate corporations for illegal evasion of taxes.

b) The veneer of corporate respectability often discourages suspicion of criminality.

c) Most corporations are honest and only rarely commit this type of white-collar deviance.

d) Corporations bribe politicians and government officials to influence legislation.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 370

14. The major reason why most corporations dump their wastes onto the land and into the air and water is because they

a) see all the other corporations doing the same thing.

b) do not believe that their wastes actually harm the land.

c) have little commitment to the environment.

d) find it too costly to develop ecologically safer alternatives.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 370-371

15. The program designed to clean up serious areas of environmental pollution is called

a) the EPA program.

b) the Superfund.

c) the National Environmental Recovery Program.

d) the Environmental Trust Fund.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 370-371

16. In the “Social Profile: Corporate Crooks,” the text’s author lists many activities conducted by U.S. corporations, including moving corporate headquarters to avoid taxes, stacking the board of directors, and giving campaign contributions to candidates of both parties. What make these practices important is that they are

a) illegal.

b) legal.

c) harmful to corporations.

d) helpful to corporations.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 371-372

17. According to Douglas and Waksler’s studies, employee theft is

a) the most pervasive and costly form of property deviance in the U.S.

b) conducted by organized rings of employees connected to organized crime.

c) actually encouraged by owners of businesses.

d) a minor problem compared to robbery and mugging.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 373

18. The proportion of the nation’s entire work force that either plans or is tempted to commit employee theft is __________ percent.

a) 10

b) 30

c) 60

d) 90

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 372-373

19. Which of the following is NOT a reason why some employees steal from their employers?

a) feeling underpaid

b) being old enough to earn extra compensation

c) feeling frustrated by a lack of promotional opportunity

d) not perceiving the stealing as real theft

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 372-373

20. Which of the following statements about embezzlement is TRUE?

a) Low-level managers who embezzle funds do the most damage.

b) Most embezzlers join companies with the explicit purpose of stealing.

c) Most embezzlers have links to organized deviance.

d) Most embezzlers are in upper management positions.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 373-374

21. The third and final stage through which an otherwise honest employee becomes an embezzler is

a) becoming aware of an opportunity for stealing.

b) developing what they perceive to be an unshareable financial problem.

c) rationalizing away the criminal nature of their act.

d) violating the company’s stated values and norms.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 374

22. If a broker buys or sells stocks based on confidential information, it is called

a) fraud.

b) insider trading.

c) a violation of the security law.

d) churning.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 375

23. All of the following are ways for doctors to take part in white-collar deviance, EXCEPT for

a) fee splitting.

b) unnecessary surgery.

c) outright quackery.

d) fraudulently claiming payment for services.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 375-376

24. The most common deviance of lawyers is

a) overcharging clients.

b) accounting abuses.

c) fee-splitting.

d) fraudulent advertising.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 375-376

25. Which of the following statements is NOT a unique aspect of white-collar deviance?

a) the extensive use of an organization to commit deviance

b) the white-collar criminal’s ability to maintain a noncriminal self-image

c) the unwitting cooperation of the victim

d) society’s relative indifference toward the deviance

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 377-379

26. Which of the following statements about white-collar deviance is TRUE?

a) Most white-collar criminals have a criminal self-image.

b) Most victims of white-collar deviance know they are being victimized.

c) The government is deeply involved in passing laws against white-collar deviance.

d) Little effort is made to catch white-collar criminals, and when caught, they seldom go to jail.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 378-379

27. It is doubtful that the government can wage an all-out war on white-collar deviance because

a) such criminals are too powerful or respectable.

b) the government is too busy arresting drug offenders.

c) jurors will sympathize too much with the white-collar defendants.

d) not enough laws exist to pursue a rigorous war on this deviance.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 379

28. White-collar deviance among corporations or their personnel exists because of strong criminal motivation and

a) a tendency toward violence.

b) severe social strain caused by America’s social structure.

c) weak social controls.

d) poor socialization experiences and negative self-images.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 380

29. One reason why there is weaker control experienced by white-collar deviants is that they

a) fear they will lose their power or position.

b) highly moral individuals.

c) public opinion on their side.

d) have great power to avoid governmental action.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 381

30. Personal use of campaign funds and political corruption are ways government officials abuse power to

a) gain money for personal use.

b) maintain power over others.

c) flaunt their arrogance.

d) defeat other candidates.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 382

31. All of the following are ways elected officials commit deviant acts to maintain power, EXCEPT for

a) personal use of campaign funds.

b) abusing the “frank.”

c) soliciting corporate contributions.

d) flouting campaign finance laws.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 383-384

32. All of the following are common activities of official deviants, EXCEPT for

a) political corruption.

b) election improprieties.

c) official violence.

d) spying for the government.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 382-384

33. Which of the following is a type of election impropriety?

a) abusing the frank

b) political theft

c) receiving contributions in return for favors

d) government violence

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 383

34. The killing of people by their government is called _____.

a) political abuse

b) political power

c) official violence

d) democide

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 384

35. The most common form of official violence is

a) police brutality against citizens.

b) the exposure of average citizens to dangerous chemicals.

c) strictly enforcing the tax laws.

d) the adding of experimental birth control liquids into the rations of Army soldiers.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 384

36. Political insiders call attempts to neutralize deviance

a) types of power abuse.

b) lies and distortions.

c) the ritual of wiggle.

d) the delabeling of actions.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 385

37. When President Reagan stated again and again that he did not know of the diversion of funds to the Nicaraguan rebels, he was involved in which of the following techniques of neutralization?

a) simply ignoring the deviance

b) promising an investigation

c) accusing the accuser

d) denying the obvious

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 385

38. According to David Ermann and Richard Lundman, official deviance can be traced to three different sources. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

a) lack of information and responsibility in a large organization

b) organizational leaders’ inability to foresee a harmful result, leading to unintentional deviance

c) superabundance of ambiguous laws, leading to opportunity for deviance

d) the elite’s intention to commit a harmful act against some people

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 388

39. The complexity of laws regulating political corruption often leads to __________ deviance.

a) official

b) unintentional

c) political

d) white-collar

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 388

40. Most of the tax evasion methods employed by corporations are

a) legal.

b) detected and prosecuted.

c) the consequence of government harassment.

d) not economically significant.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 369

True/False Questions

1. White-collar deviance is deviance committed by white-collar persons in the course of the offender’s occupation for personal or corporate gain.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 372

2. The two types of white-collar deviance are corporate deviance and occupational deviance.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 372

3. False claims made through advertisements are illegal.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 368-369

4. The most obvious reason for corporations’ tendency to be criminally negligent about their employees’ health and safety is concern with profit maximization.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 377-378

5. Tax evasion is so prevalent because of the complexity of the tax laws.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 369-370

6. The Superfund program created for the Environmental Protection Agency has rarely been used aggressively to stop pollution.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 370-371

7. Most of the employee thieves are lower-class people who complain about low wages.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 372-373

8. Many workers who steal from their bosses do so to keep their jobs interesting and challenging.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 373

9. Embezzlers usually define their stealing as merely borrowing the money, for they insist they will pay it back soon.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 373-374

10. Once convicted, white-collar criminals usually see their deviance as deviance and themselves as criminals.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 377

11. Two reasons why white-collar deviance exists are greater opportunity and weaker social controls.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 379

12. Corporations and personnel with high position in a corporation have higher status and prestige and therefore a greater opportunity to commit deviance.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 377

13. In most white-collar deviance, the victim unwittingly makes the offense possible because of ignorance or carelessness.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 378

14. Following the Savings & Loan scandal of the 1980s, the government has declared a war on white-collar criminals by prosecuting most of them.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 367-368

15. American government officials are distinguishable by their remarkable lack of interest in pursuing money while in office.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 352-353

16. The U.S. commits democide to a much smaller extent than many other nations.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 384

17. The phrase “the ritual of wiggle” has been used to refer to the sly way in which government crime is typically committed.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 385

18. If their illegal acts are uncovered, government officials rarely admit their guilt.

True

False

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 385

19. The “superabundance of ambiguous laws” makes it difficult to control government activity.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 387-388

20. The majority of people who commit white collar crimes are prosecuted.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 364

21. False claims made through advertisements are illegal.

True

False

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 368

22. The complexity and ambiguity of the tax laws have led to greater proliferation tax evasion.

True

False

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 374

23. Ambiguity in laws generally leads to greater corruption.

True

False

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 374

Fill-In Questions

1. __________ deviance is both criminal and noncriminal forms of economic deviance carried out by high-status people as part of their occupations.

Difficulty: 1

Page Reference: 364

2. Kenneth Lay of Enron and Scott Sullivan of WorldCom are two examples of corporate __________.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 371

3. Tax and securities violations and embezzlement are two examples of white-collar deviance committed as part of one’s __________.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 373-374

4. One characteristic of white-collar criminals is that they see themselves as respectable persons, maintaining a noncriminal __________.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 377

5. Police brutality and forcing Native Americans off their lands are two examples of __________ violence.

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 383-384

Essay Questions

1. Choose and analyze one type of deviant corporate behavior. What are some of the deviant activities that corporations undertake, and what are their causes and costs?

Difficulty: 3

Page Reference: 365-371

2. Compare and contrast two types of white-collar occupational deviance. What do persons in these occupations do? How are their deviances similar or different in causes, opportunities, and consequences?

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 372-377

3. Discuss some of the reasons why white-collar deviance is so unique. That is, what are some features of this type of deviance that are not found among other types of deviance?

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 377-379

4. Describe and analyze one type of governmental deviance described in the text. What is this type of deviance committed by a government or governmental official, and what is its cause?

Difficulty: 3

Page Reference: 381-384

5. List and describe several techniques official deviants use to avoid responsibility for their actions. What are some techniques, and how do they work?

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 385-387

6. Why do white-collar criminals receive lighter sentences compared to blue-collar criminals, though the effects of white-collar crimes can be greater than those of blue-collar crimes?

Difficulty: 2

Page Reference: 364-367