Chapter 10 – White Collar and Organized Crime

What is the difference between: “white collar crime,” “corporate crime,” and “organized crime,” and “political crime?”

Who first popularized the study of white collar crime in sociology? How was his definition different from that more commonly used today?

Can you define and briefly explain the following terms? Sting, swindle, Ponzi scheme, affinity fraud, chiseling?

How common are religious swindles? What are the most common ones?

Is all “insider trading” illegal? Explain briefly?

What is “influence peddling?”

What was the Knapp Commission? What did it find?

Can you briefly explain the “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act” (FCPA)?

Can you concisely explain “the Iran/Contra scandal?”

What is “pilferage?” How does it compare to shoplifting in terms of dollars of damage done?

What is “client fraud?”

What are: ping-ponging, steering, and gold-plating? Can you describe each?

What is a “passive neglect offense?”

What characterizes “restraint of trade” crimes? What is a “tying arrangement?” What is “division of markets?” What is “price-fixing?” What is the principle behind which all of these are declared illegal?

Can you briefly explain the “Savings and Loan Bailbout?”

What was “BCCI International?” What crimes are associated with it?

What was “Enron?” What crimes are associated with it? Did anyone ever go to prison for Enron’s violations?

How can “price inflation” be illegal?

What was Tammany Hall?

Who was Warren G. Harding, and why is he mentioned in a criminology text?

What is “habeas corpus?” How is it related to the recent “War on Terror?”

What is “phishing?”

What is the most common type of Internet fraud?

Can you briefly describe the “Nigerian letter scam?” Is it somewhat like the tradition crime associated with the “Pigeon Drop?” Explain why or why not.

What is “pump and dump?” What is “cyber-smear?” Is the latter illegal?

What is a “denial of service attack?” Why is the nation of Estonia relevant to denial of service attack?

What is RICO?

What is “racketeering?”

Has organized crime ever enjoyed any grassroots support? Why or why not?

How organized IS “organized crime?”

What are the main illegal activities of organized crime?

Has organized crime in Eastern Europe and Russian been increasing or decreasing in recent decades? Why?

Where are “sex vacations” popular?

What is the definition of “colonialism?” From lecture, how and why did colonialism get started? Was drug trafficking somehow associated with the colonialist system? Explain.

Who were the “Contras?”

What is “laundering” money? Where and how is it done?

How may organized crime, lobbyists, PACS, and the rollback of some laws be related to each other?