Logical Reasoning

PT123 · S3 · Q19 Editor: Many candidates say that

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Editor: Many candidates say that if elected they will reduce governmental intrusion into voters’ lives.

Conclusion (thus)

Governmental intrusion into the lives of voters will rarely be substantially reduced over time in a democracy.

Evidence

Voters elect politicians who promise that the government will provide assistance to solve their most pressing problems.

Governmental assistance comes from taxes, which can be considered a form of governmental intrusion.

Evaluate

Sometimes, in order to Strengthen, we need to figure out how we would weaken the argument.

Given that ... The politicians we elect promise that the government will provide assistance, which theoretically will intrude on people's lives via taxes

How could we argue that ... Intrusion into the lives of voters will OFTEN be substantially reduced over time in a democracy?

We might say that, sure all government action costs taxpayer money, but there are better and worse versions of spending taxpayer money. Maybe a newly elected politician's plans for government assistance involve LESS taxpayer money than the previously elected politicians' plans? Even though there is still intrusion, via taxation, there would be LESS intrusion.

We might also say that certain actions politicians take in office, while costing taxpayer money, are targeted at removing other forms of intrusion. Like maybe it would cost taxpayer money to develop a spy agency that doesn't wire tap citizens' phones. The taxes would increase intrusion into citizens' finances, but the agency would decrease intrusion into citizens' privacy by no longer wire tapping their phones.

Finally, we might say even though politicians promise to do bold (and expensive) corrective measures, they never actually do anything in office. Bills can't get passed because of partisan gridlock, so intrusion lessens over time.

Goal

Let's look for an answer that rules out one of our objections or gives us some other reason to think that intrusion will keep going up over time (or at least stay around the same).

19.

Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the editor's argument?

  1. Correct

    Politicians who win their elections

    Why this is right

    If it turns out that politicians who get elected don’t do what they said they would, then no taxpayer money would get spent, and so intrusion would not be going up at all. This answer goes the opposite of that objection, saying that politicians WILL keep their promises, and thus will spend tax money, and thus will continue intruding into people's lives.

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

    56% picked this

  2. Politicians never promise what they

    Weakens

    This is the opposite of (A). This actually affirms one of our objections, as opposed to going against it, as (A) does.

    12% picked this

  3. The most common problems people

    Out of Scope

    The types of problems voters have are irrelevant to whether the solutions created by politicians increase governmental intrusion.

    13% picked this

  4. Governmental intrusion into the lives

    Irrelevant

    The level of burden created by governmental intrusion into the lives of voters.

    10% picked this

  5. Politicians who promise to do

    Weakens

    This undermines the argument, by distinguishing what is promised from what is believed ought to be done. But even this fails to distinguish between what is promised and what actually happens.

    8% picked this

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