Logical Reasoning

PT117 · S3 · Q5 In some countries, there is

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In some countries, there is a free flow of information about infrastructure, agriculture, and industry, whereas in other countries, this information is controlled by a small elite.

Conclusion

Countries with tight control over economic information are more likely to experience economic crises than are countries with free flowing economic information.

Evidence

In countries with tight control over economic information, the vast majority of the population is denied information vital to their welfare.

Evaluate

Since we have an argument structured like this: Countries with tight control have this trait Thus, Countries with tight control have that trait

We just need a rule that says "this leads to that".

Countries with tight control have [ a majority of the population denied vital information about factors determining their welfare ]

Thus, Countries with tight control have [ more likely to experience frequent economic crises ]

Goal

We need an answer that allows us to get from to "more likely to experience frequent economic crises"

The conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?

It is more likely that
Out of Scope: Suffer
We're not receptive to new language on Sufficient Assumption. We're trying to patch together the ideas that were already mentioned.
1% picked this
Correct
Economic crises become more frequent
Why this is right
We were looking to get from "if vast majority is denied vital info about factors that determine their welfare" to "more likely to experience frequent economic crises" This answer is saying, the less info there is available to the population about factors determining its welfare, the more frequent there will be economic crises. This rule allows us to prove that tightly controlled countries, where only a small elite has access to info and 99% of the population is denied vital info about factors that affect its welfare, are more likely to have economic crises.
Skill tested: Sufficient Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
81% picked this
In nations in which the
No Impact: Relative vs. Absolute
The argument is about whether economic crises are more common in tightly controlled countries. Whether or not they are common is neutral to the argument. Economic crises might also be common in free flowing information countries. Since the conclusion only cares about relative status (more/same/less common), we get no value out of absolute status (common / not common).
14% picked this
The higher the percentage of
Out of Scope: Better Decisions
The term "better decisions" is new, which on Sufficient Assumption is almost always out of scope / wrong. However, on a Strengthen question, this would certainly strengthen. We would think that free flowing information countries make better economic decisions, since they have a higher % of population participating in economic decisions (since in tightly controlled societies, vast majority are denied info about economy). But that's not a given. We're just adding our own reasonable assumptions, which is legal in the headspace of Strengthen / Weaken. Sufficient Assumption, meanwhile, needs an airtight circuit, where A attaches to B, B attaches to C. If we bring in new ideas like "better decisions", then we would need a connecting idea to relate it to the conversation (like "better economic decisions make you less likely to experience frequent economic crises"). The correct answer on Sufficient Assumption has to close the circuit. It can't create new loose ends.
1% picked this
A small elite that controls
Out of Scope: Manipulate For Benefit
Because this answer introduces new wording, you would still need an additional idea to prove the argument (when economic information is manipulated for the elite's own benefit, a country is more likely to experience an economic crisis).
3% picked this

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