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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The author asserts in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow" that although rural counties contain only 20% of the U.S. population, what percentage of new prison construction occurs there?

2. In 2006, one in how many African American men was behind bars?

3. What sociologist is cited as saying in Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand" that those sent to prison "are institutionally branded as a particular class of individuals"?

4. The author asserts in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow," "All racial caste systems, not just mass incarceration, have been supported by" what?

5. When was the Anti-Drug Abuse Act passed that called for strict lease enforcement and eviction of public housing tenants who engage in criminal activity?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the "Black Box" that the author refers to in Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand"?

2. What are the historical parallels between Jim Crow and mass incarceration that the author explores in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow"?

3. What does the author mean when she refers to "second-class citizens" in the book?

4. What was enacted with the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998?

5. What is noted about Frederick Douglass's speech at the National Colored Convention in 1853 in Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand"?

6. How does the author describe white victims of racial caste in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow"?

7. When was crack-cocaine introduced to users in the U.S.? What involvement did the government have with the introduction of crack to African American communities?

8. When did Whren v. United States go before the Supreme Court? What was the Court's decision?

9. What was enacted with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988?

10. How does the author compare the circumstances of a freed prisoner to those of a black person living in Mississippi at the height of Jim Crow in Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the penal population in the United States compared with other countries? What different elements contribute to this disparity? What actions has the U.S. taken to address the problems of mass incarceration?

Essay Topic 2

What are the mandatory sentences for crack cocaine possession? What sentences are mandatory for powder cocaine possession? Why is there a disparity? How does this disparity impact the African American community?

Essay Topic 3

What is "black exceptionalism"? How does black exceptionalism pose obstacles for civil rights advocates? What are examples of black exceptionalism seen in politics today?

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