The government has recently adopted a policy

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct75% picked this

   fails to consider that, even if the reports are incomplete, they may nevertheless provide the public with important

   Why this is right

   We'll always like an answer that says, "fails to consider that EVEN IF premise is true, STILL POSSIBLE THAT conclusion is wrong". This takes that form. "Even though the reports are incomplete, they may help the cause of making the public better informed about airline safety." This is making the objection that "something is better than nothing". If the govt didn't publish safety stuff, then the public might have no information about airline safety, so even if this leads to incomplete reports, it could be an improvement on before.

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

   75%
2. B

   Too Strong: "all"2% picked this

   presumes, without providing justification, that the public has a right to all information about matters

   The author didn't need to assume that the public has a right to all info about all matters of public safety. She's not even really assuming that the public has a right to this info. She's just making a descriptive argument that says, "Hey, govt. I know you're trying to boost public knowledge, but I see your action as having a repercussion that would undermine that goal." She isn't evaluating whether it's a worthy goal, a rightful goal, etc.

   2%
3. C

   Too Strong: "impossible"11% picked this

   presumes, without providing justification, that information about airline safety is impossible to find in the

   The author doesn't need to assume that info about airline safety is impossible to find without government disclosures. It wouldn't hurt her argument if there was some possible non-governmental way to obtain a shred of info about airline safety.

   11%
4. D

   Out of Scope: "should be responsible"10% picked this

   presumes, without providing justification, that airlines, rather than the government, should be held responsible for accurate

   There's nothing normative in this argument. The author is arguing that a step the govt is taking will undermine what it is hoping to achieve by taking that step. One can make that argument regardless of whether they endorse the government's goal, are opposed to it, whether they like the govt or hate it, whether they think the government should report accurate safety info or someone else.

   10%
5. E

   Out of Scope: "revenues"3% picked this

   fails to consider whether the publication of airline safety statistics will have an effect on

   This argument is only about whether or not publishing incomplete safety reports will or won't increase how informed the public is about airline safety. The airlines revenues are totally out of scope.

   3%