Question 14 • Introduction to Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security
After reading the following passage which of the following conclusions can most accurately be drawn about the development of law enforcement in the United States?From the founding of the United States, there has been skepticism about a centralized police force. This skepticism was influenced by the experience of being a colony under British rule, and, as a result, the framers of the Constitution ensured the legal rights of all citizens and policing takes place mostly on the state and local level. Even though Americans favored state and local law enforcement, the creation of a national government meant that a national law enforcement agency was needed. Early federal law enforcement agencies included the United States Marshal Service and the Postal Inspection Service. By the early 1900s, there were only a few federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. Since then, the number of federal law enforcement agencies has grown, and the jurisdiction of existing agencies has often expanded. Today, there are more than twenty different federal agencies, employing over 100,000 officers and agents.
Answer
A
State officials often refuse to work with federal law enforcement agencies.
B
The skepticism about a centralized police force in the United States is in delicate balance with modern expansion of federal jurisdictions
C
Law enforcement in the United States has developed primarily state and local agencies
D
The federal government has randomly changed its jurisdictions in law enforcement
Explanation
The passage describes two developments: Americans’ skepticism about centralized policing led law enforcement to remain mostly at the state and local level, while federal agencies and their jurisdictions have expanded over time. This tension is best captured by the choice stating that skepticism is in balance with modern expansion of federal jurisdictions. The passage does not say state officials refuse to cooperate or that federal jurisdiction changes are random.
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