Necessary AssumptionDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: To have a democracy, people need to trust each other, and that trust only grows when people join clubs or political groups. Because people are staying home watching movies and using electronics for fun, the author concludes this is destroying democracy.
Conclusion: Widespread use of movies and electronic media for entertainment is inherently damaging to democracy.
Reasoning: Democracy requires mutual trust among citizens, and this trust is only developed through participation in civic and political groups outside the family.
Analysis: The columnist assumes that spending time on electronic media and movies prevents people from participating in the civic groups that build trust. There is a missing link here: the argument treats media consumption and civic participation as mutually exclusive. For the conclusion to hold, it must be true that this type of entertainment actually reduces the time or inclination people have to join the groups necessary for a healthy democracy. Look for an answer that connects media use to a decline in civic engagement.
Conclusion: Widespread use of movies and electronic media for entertainment is inherently damaging to democracy.
Reasoning: Democracy requires mutual trust among citizens, and this trust is only developed through participation in civic and political groups outside the family.
Analysis: The columnist assumes that spending time on electronic media and movies prevents people from participating in the civic groups that build trust. There is a missing link here: the argument treats media consumption and civic participation as mutually exclusive. For the conclusion to hold, it must be true that this type of entertainment actually reduces the time or inclination people have to join the groups necessary for a healthy democracy. Look for an answer that connects media use to a decline in civic engagement.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage5.Which one of the following is an assumption on which the columnist's argument depends?
Correct Answer
D
D supplies the needed bridge: if relying on movies/electronic media generally makes people less likely to participate in groups outside the family, then the only route to building/maintaining trust bonds is impeded, which supports the conclusion that democracy is harmed. Negation test: If relying on movies does not generally reduce such participation, then trust bonds need not suffer and the argument’s conclusion about an inherent corrosive effect collapses.
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