Self-study
P1
Determining the most effective way to deter deliberate crimes, such as fraud, as opposed to impulsive crimes, such as .
Problem ·
Most effective way to deter deliberate crimes
One side's position ·
Crimes a product of societal norms and institutions
That side's solution ·
Change attitudes, improve economic opportunity, rehabilitate
Other side's position ·
Crimes a product of individual choice
Other side's solution ·
More penalties
Author's solution ·
The two positions above are complementary, not opposed
P2
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Explain author's solution ·
Principle of utility maximization
Decision to commit a crime is an economic decision that weighs the likely benefits ("utilities") of different actions
P3
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Application of principle ·
to problem of crime deterrence
A person commits a crime when that person believes the benefits outweigh the risks
Elaborate on author's solution ·
Combine penalties with improved economic opportunity
More penalties increase the risks of committing a crime. Improved economic opportunity decreases the benefits of committing a crime (as compared to law-abiding activities).
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Problem-analysis
5.
Which one of the following ████ ██████████ █████████ ███ ████████████ ██ ███ ████████
a
Two sides of █ ██████ ███ █████████ ███ █ ███████ █████████ ██ ████ ██ ███████ ███ ████████ ███████ █████
This is a great low-res summary of the passage. In P1, two sides of a debate are described. In P2 and P3, a general principle is introduced and then used to resolve the conflict between the two sides.
b
Two sides of █ ██████ ███ █████████ ███ ██ ████████ █████████ ██ ███████ ██ ██████ ███████ █████
Descriptively inaccurate. The UM principle isn’t used to decide between the two sides—the author doesn’t say that one side is right and the other is wrong. Instead, the principle is used to show how both sides are actually compatible with each other.
c
Two beliefs are █████████ ███ █ █████████ ██ ██████████ ██ █████████ █████
Descriptively inaccurate. The UM principle does’t discredit the two sides of the debate; it’s used to show that both beliefs have merit and are compatible with each other.
d
A general principle ██ █████████ ███ ████████████ ██ ███ █████████ ████ ██ ███████ █ ████████
Descriptively inaccurate. The author doesn’t present two different ways of using the UM principle. Instead, she uses the principle in a single way (treating crime as the result of economic incentives and disincentives) to settle a debate between two different viewpoints.
e
A general principle ██ █████████ ███ ████ ██ █████████ ███ ███████████ ███████ ███ █████ ██ █ ███████
To the contrary, the UM principle is used to highlight how two sides in a debate are actually compatible, not different.