Political scientist: As a political system,

Answer choices

1. A

   Wrong Flaw: not Nec vs. Suff13% picked this

   confuses the conditions necessary for political freedom with the conditions sufficient to

   The famous Necessary vs. Sufficient flaw is about the author presenting a conditional relationship in her evidence and then applying that rule backwards or in opposite fashion to reach her conclusion. In this argument, the two premises (the 2nd and 3rd sentences) were not conditional statements, so we don't need to think any harder about this answer choice.

   13%
2. B

   Not an Objection9% picked this

   fails to consider that a substantial increase in the level of political freedom might cause a society

   When a Flaw answer choice is structured fails to consider / overlooks the possibility we can ask ourselves whether, if true, it would be an objection. An objection to this argument would help us argue that democracy does promote political freedom. This answer would be saying that "more political freedom can promote democracy", which does not help our cause.

   9%
3. C

   Too Strong: irrelevant10% picked this

   appeals to historical examples that are irrelevant to the causal claim

   The appeals to historical examples aren't irrelevant; they just aren't sufficient to prove the author's conclusion. Since the conclusion is about whether democracy promotes political freedom, any historical example in which we have democracy and do / don't have political freedom will be relevant.

   10%
4. D

   Correct66% picked this

   overlooks the possibility that democracy promotes political freedom without being necessary or sufficient by itself

   Why this is right

   This would be an objection. It's saying, "even though democracy isn't sufficient to produce political freedom (sometimes there is democracy but not political freedom) and even though democracy isn't necessary to produce political freedom (sometimes there is political freedom without there being democracy), it's still could be true that democracy promotes political freedom". This would definitely help us argue that "democracy does promote political freedom", because that idea is literally in the answer choice! This answer is saying, in very abstract terms, that the author's evidence (her counterexamples) are compatible with her conclusion being wrong.

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

   66%
5. E

   Out of Scope2% picked this

   bases its historical case on a personal point

   Out of Scope: personal point of view I have no idea how we would argue that the historical examples cited are based on this political scientist's personal point of view.

   2%