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Quiz: Police Reform

August 23, 2020

Our partners at the Program for Public Consultation ran a policymaking simulation based on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which recently passed the House of Representatives. Take the quiz to learn more about support for police reform measures.

Large majorities of both parties support a measure in H.R. 7120, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, requiring police officers to intervene when a colleague is using excessive force.
- True
- False
Supporters of a provision in H.R. 7120 requiring police officers to use de-escalation techniques, and use force only as a last resort, invoke the story of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Tamir was holding a _________ when officers drove up and shot him without warning.
- Gun
- Knife
- Toy gun
- Wallet
Qualified immunity grants police officers legal immunity on the basis that the officers say they were acting in good faith and believed their actions were lawful. Under the current system, police officers are often granted immunity if no previous cases held officers liable for the same conduct in very similar circumstances.
- True
- False
Support for changing the qualified immunity rules is strong among both Democrats and Republicans.
- True
- False
H.R. 7120 passed the House of Representatives in June 2020, and legislation with some similar provisions has also been introduced in the Senate (S.3985, also called the JUSTICE Act). At the time of publication – August 23, 2020 – what is the status of the Senate bill?
- It passed the Senate but the President hasn’t signed it
- The House and Senate are at odds over a few details
- It’s scheduled for more committee hearings
- It’s not currently moving and is not expected to pass
A proposal in the House bill will create a national registry of police misconduct, enabling police departments across the country to easily check if an officer has had multiple complaints filed against them. This proposal has strong bipartisan support.
- True
- False
Under the House bill, chokeholds and other restraints that prevent breathing or block the flow of blood or oxygen to the brain, which came under close scrutiny following the deaths of George Floyd and Eric Garner, would be prohibited. The vast majority of Democrats support this measure. How many Republicans support it?
- One-quarter
- One-third
- Just under half
- More than half
The bill would require police departments to provide their officers training on _______________, with advocates saying it’s necessary because officers use excessive force against minorities more than they do against white civilians.
- Confirmation bias
- Implicit bias
- Negativity bias
- Selection bias
The police killing of Breonna Taylor thrust what controversial policing tactic into the spotlight?
- Chokeholds
- De-escalation
- Duty to intervene
- No-knock warrants
Of all proposals surveyed in this policymaking simulation, which was most popular overall?
- Banning chokeholds
- Intervening against use of excessive force
- Creating a national registry of police misconduct
- Requiring officers to wear body cameras

Learn more about this survey and the arguments for and against the police reform proposals discussed in this quiz at Voice of the People.

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