Question 1

When it comes to the financial cost of the death penalty, the following statement is NOT true:

Accepted Answer

A)  Maintaining the death penalty is far more expensive than abandoning it. 
B)  States could save huge amounts of money by abolishing the death penalty. 
C)  Money can be saved if a capital case defendant is eventually sentenced to life in prison. 
D)  Capital cases are more expensive at every stage of the legal process.

Question 2

The purpose of the death penalty is seen as deterrence. However, many studies in the United States, as well as in other countries, have found _____ evidence to support the idea that capital punishment deters murderers. Moreover, there is research showing that the frequency of murders _____ after executions, especially after highly publicized executions.

Accepted Answer

A)  no clear; increases 
B)  no clear; decreases 
C)  a great deal of; increases 
D)  a great deal of; decreases

Question 3

The definition of aggravated murder punishable by death _____ across jurisdictions.

Accepted Answer

A)  is consistent 
B)  varies 
C)  overlaps with other types of crimes 
D)  is dictated by the FBI

Question 4

Regarding racial discrimination in capital sentencing, Ellsworth and Mauro (1998) stated that "a person denied housing or employment has _____ protection from racial discrimination than a person whose life is at stake."

Accepted Answer

A)  less 
B)  no less 
C)  more 
D)  no more

Question 5

Research by Lynch and Haney (2000), using identical cases but varying the race of the victim and the offender, has found the following: when the defendant was black and the victim was white, _____ percentage of mock jurors recommended the sentence of death, compared to when the defendant was white and the victim was black. This finding only applied to those mock jurors who _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  a lower; did not understand the instructions well 
B)  approximately the same; have participated in trials before 
C)  a higher; did not understand the instructions well 
D)  a higher; have participated in trials before

Question 6

Potential jurors excluded during the process of death qualification because of their opposition to the death penalty are more likely to be:

Accepted Answer

A)  female, African American, and politically liberal. 
B)  female, Hispanic, and politically conservative. 
C)  male, white, and politically liberal. 
D)  male, Hispanic, and politically conservative.

Question 7

A study tracked jurors' emotions during a capital penalty trial. Researchers found that the more intense a juror's _____, the _____ likely that juror was to vote for death.

Accepted Answer

A)  curiosity; more 
B)  curiosity; less 
C)  anger; more 
D)  anger; less

Question 8

In terms of frequency, it is noted in the text that _____ of murderers are executed in the United States.

Accepted Answer

A)  fewer than 1% 
B)  about 10% 
C)  approximately 25% 
D)  over 50%

Question 9

Discuss racial disparities with regard to the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss racial disparities with regard to the...

Question 10

A defendant is deemed "guilty" or "not guilty" during _____ of a capital murder trial.

Accepted Answer

A)  phase one 
B)  phase two 
C)  a pre-trial phase 
D)  a post-sentencing phase

Question 11

Research on possible errors in death penalty cases has examined every capital case in the United States over a 22-year period (Liebman et al., 2000). It was found that 68% of death sentences were reversed because of serious errors at trial. All of the following were found to be the sources of these errors, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  incompetent defense lawyers. 
B)  misleading jury instructions. 
C)  incompetent judges or juries. 
D)  misconduct of prosecutors.

Question 12

Maintaining the death penalty is _____ than abandoning it. The costs of the death penalty are _____ if the defendant is eventually sentenced to life in prison.

Accepted Answer

A)  far more expensive; incurred even 
B)  far more expensive; diminished 
C)  cheaper; incurred even 
D)  cheaper; diminished

Question 13

Many countries refuse to _____ in protest of the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

A)  extradite death-penalty eligible criminals to the United States 
B)  trade goods and services with the United States 
C)  allow U.S. military aircraft to use their air space 
D)  help their citizens facing execution in the United States

Question 14

Most democratic countries consider the death penalty to be a violation of basic human rights. Among the countries that do execute their own people, all of the following countries are "leaders" in the number of executions, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  China 
B)  India 
C)  Pakistan 
D)  Saudi Arabia

Question 15

In the parts of the world that still recognize the death penalty, the methods of execution often include hanging and shooting, as well as:

Accepted Answer

A)  beheading. 
B)  lethal injection. 
C)  the gas chamber. 
D)  the electric chair.

Question 16

Liebman, Fagan, and West (2000) examined every capital case in the United States over a 22-year period and found that _____ of death sentences were reversed because of serious errors at trial, with the most frequent cause of errors being _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  68%; incompetent defense lawyers 
B)  52%; faulty or misleading jury instructions 
C)  37%; prosecutorial misconduct 
D)  12%; judges' misconduct

Question 17

Generally, Americans _____ the death penalty. However, when asked to compare it with life without parole, _____ prefer punishment other than the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

A)  favor; very few 
B)  favor; a clear majority of respondents 
C)  are opposed to; very few 
D)  are opposed to; only affluent respondents

Question 18

In Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty should not be applied to rapists, even to child rapists, unless:

Accepted Answer

A)  the child was under the age of 3. 
B)  the rape was an incest. 
C)  the victim died. 
D)  the child was seriously injured.

Question 19

Three of the four forms of execution below are only used in the United States. Which one is used in other countries that administer the death penalty?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hanging. 
B)  The electric chair. 
C)  The gas chamber. 
D)  Lethal injection.

Question 20

Different factors come into play during the sentencing phase of a homicide case when it is decided whether the sentence should be death or life in prison with no hope of parole. Circumstances that support the death sentence are called:

Accepted Answer

A)  mitigating factors. 
B)  aggravating factors. 
C)  proof of mental disease. 
D)  degree of conviction.

Exam 17: The Death Penalty