Politician: All nations that place

Answer choices

1. A

   Weakens8% picked this

   The top level of taxation must reach 45 percent before taxation begins to deter inventors and industrialist from

   This pushes back against the link from 1 to 2. It's suggesting that simply exceeding 30% for the top bracket does not yet trigger the "high tax" threshold that leads to a negative incentive for technological innovation. 1. top tax bracket exceeds 30% 2. so, there is a high tax on income 3. so, there's a negative incentive for tech innovation

   8%
2. B

   Weakens10% picked this

   Making a great deal of money is an insignificant factor in

   This pushes back at the dubious move from 3 to 4. The author is assuming that "if there's a negative financial incentive for tech innovation, the technological innovation will be hampered. 1. top tax bracket exceeds 30% 2. so, there is a high tax on income 3. so, there's a negative incentive for tech innovation 4. so, technological innovation is hampered This answer is saying that money isn't a significant driving force behind innovation, so when a high tax reduces the financial incentive for tech innovation, that won't necessarily hamper technological innovation.

   10%
3. C

   Weakens4% picked this

   Falling behind in the international arms race does not necessarily lead to a strategically

   This pushes back against the move from 5 to 6. 1. top tax bracket exceeds 30% 2. so, there is a high tax on income 3. so, there's a negative incentive for tech innovation 4. so, technological innovation is hampered 5. so, the nation falls behind in the int'l arms race 6. so, they wind up in a strategically disadvantageous position The author was assuming that "if a nation falls behind in the international arms race, then it winds up in a strategically disadvantageous position", but this answer says there are exceptions to that. 5 does not necessarily imply 6.

   4%
4. D

   Weakens7% picked this

   Those nations that lose influence in the world community do not necessarily suffer from a threat to their value

   This pushes back against the move from 7 to 8. 1. top tax bracket exceeds 30% 2. so, there is a high tax on income 3. so, there's a negative incentive for tech innovation 4. so, technological innovation is hampered 5. so, the nation falls behind in the int'l arms race 6. so, they wind up in a strategically disadvantageous position 7. so, they lose their voice in world affairs 8., so, they fail to maintain their value system and way of life. The author was assuming that "if a nation loses its voice in world affairs, then it will fail to maintain its value system and way of life". This answer says that 7 does not necessarily imply 8.

   7%
5. E

   Correct72% picked this

   Allowing one’s country to lose its technological edge, especially as concerns weaponry, would be foolish rather than

   Why this is right

   Our spidey sense might have told us that this is the irrelevant answer, since it targets wording that shows up in an irrelevant "filler" part of the paragraph. The author doesn't care whether a nation winds up in a strategically disadvantageous position through historical accident or through the foolishness of leadership. She says that, "whether it's this way or that way, you get the same result: you lose your voice in world affairs". So since the author didn't care whether it was foolishness or a historical accident, we can't possibly weaken her by telling her it was one rather than the other.

   Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   72%