POLI 203 - Final Exam (2025) Actual Exam
Questions and Answers A+ Graded
How .does .the .death .penalty .system .established .in .Texas .after .Furman .(1972)
.and .ruled .constitutional .by .the .Supreme .Court .in .Jurek .v. .Texas .(1976) .differ
.from .those .established .in .other .states? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-In .Texas, .juries
.consider .a .set .of ."special .circumstances," .including ."future .dangerousness"
.when .deciding .on .the .death .sentencing. .Other .states .follow .a .system .of
.mitigating .and .aggravating .factors .in .considering .death .sentencing.
What .is .the .Marshall .Hypothesis? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-An .argument, .made .by
.Justice .Marshall .positing .that .support .for .the .death .penalty .would .decrease .if
.the .public .had .greater .knowledge .of .the .facts .surrounding .the .death .penalty.
What .makes .a .jury ."death .qualified?" .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-That .members .of
.the .jury .are .willing .to .consider .the .possibility .of .sentencing .a .person .to .death
True .or .False: .The .nation's .homicide ."hot .spots" .are .NOT .where .the .executions
.are .concentrated. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-True
The .states .of .__________ .and ._________ .established .death .penalty .systems
.with .mandatory .death .sentencing .schemes. .The .Supreme .Court .ruled .that
.these .systems .were .unconstitutional. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-North .Carolina .and
.Louisiana
Which .of .the .following .statements .most .accurately .describes .the ."guilt" .phase
.(the .first .trial) .in .the .bifurcated .trial .process?
A. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .defendant .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .they .did .not .commit .the .crime.
B. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .defendant .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .even .if .they .committed .the .crime, .they .do .not .deserve .a
.death .sentence.
C. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .state .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .the .defendant .committed .the .crime.
D. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .state .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .there .is .a .preponderance .of .evidence .that .the .defendant
.is .among .the .worst .of .the .worst .and .therefore .deserves .death. .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-C. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .state .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .the .defendant .committed .the .crime.
,In .which .decade .did .homicides .peak .in .the .United .States? .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-1990's
What .regions .of .the .country .have .the .highest .homicide .rates? .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-The .Mississippi .Delta .and .the .Mid-Atlantic .Corridor
Select .all .that .apply: .Which .of .the .following .are .grounds .for .appealing .a .death
.sentence .ruling?
.A. .Suppressed .or .newly .discovered .evidence
.B. .Ineffective .assistance .of .counsel
.C. .False .instructions .to .the .jury
.D. .Evidence .of .general .pro-prosecution .bias .associated .with .death
.qualification. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A. .Suppressed .or .newly .discovered
.evidence
B. .Ineffective .assistance .of .counsel
C. .False .instructions .to .the .jury
In .the .modern .era .(post-Gregg, .1976), .capital .prosecutions .occur: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-At .the .discretion .of .the .district .attorney, .when .a .capital .eligible
.homicide .has .occurred .and .the .DA .informs .the .court .that .they .intend .to .seek
.death.
In .what .case .did .the .Supreme .Court .ignore .statistical .evidence .demonstrating
.disproportionate .death .sentencing .based .on .the .race .of .the .offender .and .the
.victim? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-McCleskey .v. .Kemp .(1987)
What .was .the .central .finding .from .the .2014 .study .by .John .Donahue .titled ."An
.Empirical .Evaluation .of .the .of .the .Connecticut .Death .Penalty .since .1973"? .-
.CORRECT .ANSWER-That .the .egregiousness .of .the .crimes .committed .does .not
.predict .who .gets .a .death .sentence.
True .or .False: .There .is .little .difference .in .the .rate .of .homicide .per .population .in
.executing .and .non-executing .states. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-True
In .the .wake .of .a .homicide, .the .death .penalty .is .most .likely .to .be .imposed .if .the
.victim .is .a .______________. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-White .female
What .group .did .the .Court .decide .was .ineligible .for .the .death .penalty .in .Atkins
.v. .Virginia .(2002)? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Those .with .severe .intellectual
.deficiencies.
If .______________ .were .a .state .it .would .rank .second .in .executions .after .Texas.
.- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Harris .County, .TX .(Houston).
True .or .False: .There .is .a .strong .correlation .between .high .homicide .rates .and
.high .execution .rates .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-False
, Why .are .death .sentences .geographically .concentrated, .according .to .the .book
.and .lecture? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Some .jurisdictions .are .more .likely .to .seek
.death.
Which .of .the .following .is .the .most .common .aggravating .circumstance .across
.states .in .the .US?
A. .Criminal .sexual .conduct.
B. .Risk .to .many.
C. .Heinousness.
D. .Crime .committed .for .pecuniary .gain.
E. .Defendant .criminal .history. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-E. .Defendant .criminal
.history.
The .Supreme .Court .in ._________ .ruled .that .the .right .to .life .found .in .the .state's
.bill .of .rights .does .not .extend .to .those .sentenced .to .death? .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Kansas
After .being .sentenced .to .death .and .placed .on .death .row, .the .most .common
.disposition .(final .outcome) .is .______________: .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-to .have
.the .death .sentence .vacated .on .appeal .(overturned) .and .replaced .with .life .in
.prison
Focusing .on .finalized .cases, .about .______________ .percent .of .defendants .who
.are .sentenced .to .death .are .actually .executed. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-25%
In .the .post-Furman .period, .______________ .has .executed .a .higher .percentage
.of .the .inmates .it .sentenced .to .death .than .any .other .state. .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Virginia
The .Supreme .Court .case .challenging .the .constitutionality .of .long .delays .in .the
.period .between .a .death .sentence .and .an .eventual .execution .was: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Lackey .v. .Texas .(1995)
The .increase .in .time .from .crime .to .execution .stems .from: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-lengthier .appeals
The .death .penalty .system .is .self-reinforcing, .meaning .that: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Counties .that .imposed .capital .punishment .more .in .the .past .are .more
.likely .to .impose .it .in .the .future.
The .only .state .that .has .not .seen .a .dramatic .rise .in .the .time .from .crime .to
.execution .is: .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Virginia
True .or .False: .Jerome .Morgan .was .incarcerated .for .nearly .20 .years .in .the
.Louisiana .State .Penitentiary .(known .as .Angola) .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-True
Questions and Answers A+ Graded
How .does .the .death .penalty .system .established .in .Texas .after .Furman .(1972)
.and .ruled .constitutional .by .the .Supreme .Court .in .Jurek .v. .Texas .(1976) .differ
.from .those .established .in .other .states? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-In .Texas, .juries
.consider .a .set .of ."special .circumstances," .including ."future .dangerousness"
.when .deciding .on .the .death .sentencing. .Other .states .follow .a .system .of
.mitigating .and .aggravating .factors .in .considering .death .sentencing.
What .is .the .Marshall .Hypothesis? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-An .argument, .made .by
.Justice .Marshall .positing .that .support .for .the .death .penalty .would .decrease .if
.the .public .had .greater .knowledge .of .the .facts .surrounding .the .death .penalty.
What .makes .a .jury ."death .qualified?" .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-That .members .of
.the .jury .are .willing .to .consider .the .possibility .of .sentencing .a .person .to .death
True .or .False: .The .nation's .homicide ."hot .spots" .are .NOT .where .the .executions
.are .concentrated. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-True
The .states .of .__________ .and ._________ .established .death .penalty .systems
.with .mandatory .death .sentencing .schemes. .The .Supreme .Court .ruled .that
.these .systems .were .unconstitutional. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-North .Carolina .and
.Louisiana
Which .of .the .following .statements .most .accurately .describes .the ."guilt" .phase
.(the .first .trial) .in .the .bifurcated .trial .process?
A. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .defendant .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .they .did .not .commit .the .crime.
B. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .defendant .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .even .if .they .committed .the .crime, .they .do .not .deserve .a
.death .sentence.
C. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .state .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .the .defendant .committed .the .crime.
D. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .state .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .there .is .a .preponderance .of .evidence .that .the .defendant
.is .among .the .worst .of .the .worst .and .therefore .deserves .death. .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-C. .The .burden .of .proof .is .on .the .state .to .convince .the .jury .beyond .a
.reasonable .doubt .that .the .defendant .committed .the .crime.
,In .which .decade .did .homicides .peak .in .the .United .States? .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-1990's
What .regions .of .the .country .have .the .highest .homicide .rates? .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-The .Mississippi .Delta .and .the .Mid-Atlantic .Corridor
Select .all .that .apply: .Which .of .the .following .are .grounds .for .appealing .a .death
.sentence .ruling?
.A. .Suppressed .or .newly .discovered .evidence
.B. .Ineffective .assistance .of .counsel
.C. .False .instructions .to .the .jury
.D. .Evidence .of .general .pro-prosecution .bias .associated .with .death
.qualification. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-A. .Suppressed .or .newly .discovered
.evidence
B. .Ineffective .assistance .of .counsel
C. .False .instructions .to .the .jury
In .the .modern .era .(post-Gregg, .1976), .capital .prosecutions .occur: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-At .the .discretion .of .the .district .attorney, .when .a .capital .eligible
.homicide .has .occurred .and .the .DA .informs .the .court .that .they .intend .to .seek
.death.
In .what .case .did .the .Supreme .Court .ignore .statistical .evidence .demonstrating
.disproportionate .death .sentencing .based .on .the .race .of .the .offender .and .the
.victim? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-McCleskey .v. .Kemp .(1987)
What .was .the .central .finding .from .the .2014 .study .by .John .Donahue .titled ."An
.Empirical .Evaluation .of .the .of .the .Connecticut .Death .Penalty .since .1973"? .-
.CORRECT .ANSWER-That .the .egregiousness .of .the .crimes .committed .does .not
.predict .who .gets .a .death .sentence.
True .or .False: .There .is .little .difference .in .the .rate .of .homicide .per .population .in
.executing .and .non-executing .states. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-True
In .the .wake .of .a .homicide, .the .death .penalty .is .most .likely .to .be .imposed .if .the
.victim .is .a .______________. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-White .female
What .group .did .the .Court .decide .was .ineligible .for .the .death .penalty .in .Atkins
.v. .Virginia .(2002)? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Those .with .severe .intellectual
.deficiencies.
If .______________ .were .a .state .it .would .rank .second .in .executions .after .Texas.
.- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Harris .County, .TX .(Houston).
True .or .False: .There .is .a .strong .correlation .between .high .homicide .rates .and
.high .execution .rates .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-False
, Why .are .death .sentences .geographically .concentrated, .according .to .the .book
.and .lecture? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Some .jurisdictions .are .more .likely .to .seek
.death.
Which .of .the .following .is .the .most .common .aggravating .circumstance .across
.states .in .the .US?
A. .Criminal .sexual .conduct.
B. .Risk .to .many.
C. .Heinousness.
D. .Crime .committed .for .pecuniary .gain.
E. .Defendant .criminal .history. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-E. .Defendant .criminal
.history.
The .Supreme .Court .in ._________ .ruled .that .the .right .to .life .found .in .the .state's
.bill .of .rights .does .not .extend .to .those .sentenced .to .death? .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Kansas
After .being .sentenced .to .death .and .placed .on .death .row, .the .most .common
.disposition .(final .outcome) .is .______________: .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-to .have
.the .death .sentence .vacated .on .appeal .(overturned) .and .replaced .with .life .in
.prison
Focusing .on .finalized .cases, .about .______________ .percent .of .defendants .who
.are .sentenced .to .death .are .actually .executed. .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-25%
In .the .post-Furman .period, .______________ .has .executed .a .higher .percentage
.of .the .inmates .it .sentenced .to .death .than .any .other .state. .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Virginia
The .Supreme .Court .case .challenging .the .constitutionality .of .long .delays .in .the
.period .between .a .death .sentence .and .an .eventual .execution .was: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Lackey .v. .Texas .(1995)
The .increase .in .time .from .crime .to .execution .stems .from: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-lengthier .appeals
The .death .penalty .system .is .self-reinforcing, .meaning .that: .- .CORRECT
.ANSWER-Counties .that .imposed .capital .punishment .more .in .the .past .are .more
.likely .to .impose .it .in .the .future.
The .only .state .that .has .not .seen .a .dramatic .rise .in .the .time .from .crime .to
.execution .is: .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Virginia
True .or .False: .Jerome .Morgan .was .incarcerated .for .nearly .20 .years .in .the
.Louisiana .State .Penitentiary .(known .as .Angola) .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-True
