Claude: To introduce greater public

Answer choices

1. A

   Not Responding to Objection10% picked this

   The mechanics of holding a referendum would not, in the computer age,

   This is about whether we could logistically pull off holding a referendum, but it isn't responding to Lorraine's concern about the general public being too uninformed about foreign policy issues to be trusted with making these important foreign policy decisions.

   10%
2. B

   Opposite of Goal4% picked this

   Some of the information on which foreign-policy decisions are based comes from intelligence sources that must not

   This is a reason not to let the general public vote on foreign policy issues. We would have to either not give them all the intelligence that government leaders would be using to make those decisions, or we would have to "de-classify" intelligence secrets so that the public could make an informed decision. Both of those are bad options, so this works against our goal of pushing for referenda on foreign policy decisions.

   4%
3. C

   Opposite / Not Responding to Objection6% picked this

   Foreign proponents and opponents of a particular policy would attempt to sway French public opinion

   This is maybe another reason not to let the general public vote on foreign policy issues --- doing so would encourage all kinds of foreign interference. The general public would be besieged by pressure campaigns from people from other countries who wanted France to go one way or another with a given foreign policy issue. Furthermore, this isn't responding to the objection! This is doing nothing to address Lorraine's concern that the general public isn't informed enough to be voting on these foreign policy decisions.

   6%
4. D

   Correct79% picked this

   The general public has little desire to become informed about foreign-policy issues precisely because it has little or no

   Why this is right

   This, finally, is responding to Lorraine's concern that the public is too uninformed about foreign policy to be voting on it. This answer allows us to say, "Yes, Lorraine, we agree -- currently the public is too uninformed. But were we to enact this change and tell the public that they get to vote on foreign policy, then something else would change too -- they would now realize that they have some power to influence foreign policy and so they would now have much desire to become informed." Lorraine said that the general public is currently "unwilling or unable" to become informed. If they're unable, this answer answer won't help. But if they're unwilling to become informed in the present situation where they have no power to influence the foreign policy decisions of their government, then giving the public some power (in the form of referenda) could meaningfully alter their willingness to be informed about foreign policy.

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

   79%
5. E

   Opposite of Goal1% picked this

   Foreign governments friendly to France would be reluctant to share information with France if it might become public

   This is a reason not to let the general public vote on foreign policy issues. Were we to do so, France's foreign allies would be less willing to share valuable information with the French government. This works against our goal of pushing for referenda on foreign policy decisions (and it does nothing to respond to Lorraine's objection about the uninformed general public).

   1%