The frequently expressed view that

Answer choices

1. A

   Unsupported12% picked this

   A careful analysis of the written text of a constitution can show that the constitution is

   The stimulus says liberal interpretation and application are necessary for a written constitution to be liberal. That means you cannot show it is liberal by text alone. But it does not follow that you can show it is not liberal by text alone — text alone might be liberal-friendly even where the application is not, or vice versa. The argument supports a "cannot prove liberal," not a "can prove illiberal."

   12%
2. B

   Correct58% picked this

   It is impossible to determine that a written constitution is liberal merely through careful analysis

   Why this is right

   This follows directly from the conclusion. The author says a written constitution becomes liberal only when it is interpreted and applied in a liberal way. Liberal interpretation and application is therefore necessary. So if you only have the text — without interpretation and application — you cannot determine that the constitution is liberal. That is exactly what this answer says.

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

   58%
3. C

   Unsupported2% picked this

   There are no advantages to having a written rather than an

   The stimulus says nothing about whether written constitutions have advantages over unwritten ones. The author rejects only the specific claim that written ones are inherently more liberal. There could be plenty of other advantages — clarity, durability, ease of reference — and the stimulus does not address them. This is far too strong.

   2%
4. D

   Unsupported3% picked this

   Constitutions that are not written are more likely to be liberal than are constitutions

   The author rejects the view that written constitutions are inherently more liberal than unwritten ones. That does not flip the comparison the other way. Saying neither type is automatically more liberal is not the same as saying unwritten ones are more likely to be liberal. The stimulus is silent on which type tends to be more liberal in practice.

   3%
5. E

   Too Strong26% picked this

   A constitution is a liberal constitution if it is possible to interpret it in

   The stimulus says a constitution becomes liberal only when it is interpreted and applied in a liberal way — not when it is merely possible to interpret it that way. Many constitutions could in principle be read liberally but in fact are not. This answer waters the necessary condition down from actual interpretation to mere possibility.

   26%