Necessary AssumptionDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A former leader joined the current dictator's team, but the dictator's fans think she's a crook and his enemies hate anyone on his side, so she's going to have a hard time finding friends.
Conclusion: The former prime minister, Brooks, is unlikely to find much political support in her country.
Reasoning: The dictator's supporters mostly believe she is corrupt, and the dictator's opponents will reject anyone who joins his government.
Analysis: The analyst's logic is based on the preferences of two specific groups: the dictator's supporters and his opponents. For the conclusion to be 'necessary,' the analyst must assume these two groups represent the vast majority of the potential supporters in the country. If there were a large group of politically neutral or independent citizens, Brooks could theoretically draw support from them regardless of what the other two groups think. The argument depends on the assumption that there isn't a significant 'third way' or middle ground of voters.
Conclusion: The former prime minister, Brooks, is unlikely to find much political support in her country.
Reasoning: The dictator's supporters mostly believe she is corrupt, and the dictator's opponents will reject anyone who joins his government.
Analysis: The analyst's logic is based on the preferences of two specific groups: the dictator's supporters and his opponents. For the conclusion to be 'necessary,' the analyst must assume these two groups represent the vast majority of the potential supporters in the country. If there were a large group of politically neutral or independent citizens, Brooks could theoretically draw support from them regardless of what the other two groups think. The argument depends on the assumption that there isn't a significant 'third way' or middle ground of voters.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage6.The political analyst's argument depends on the assumption that
Correct Answer
D
D fills the coverage gap. If most people are either supporters or opponents of McFarlane, and almost all in each group won’t support Brooks, then Brooks will have few supporters. Negation test: if most people are not in those two groups, a large neutral bloc could support Brooks—destroying the argument. So D is necessary.
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