Flawed ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Joshi gets a lot of money from builders and votes for things builders like, so the money must be the reason he's voting that way.
Conclusion: Campaign donations from property developers are causing Joshi to vote in their favor.
Reasoning: Joshi receives more money from developers than his peers do, and his voting record aligns with developer interests more than his peers' records do.
Analysis: This argument falls into the classic trap of assuming correlation implies causation. While it is suspicious that the money and the votes align, we can't be certain the money caused the votes; perhaps developers donate to him because they already liked his pre-existing political views. Look for an answer that points out the possibility of a third factor or a reversed relationship between the donations and the voting behavior.
Conclusion: Campaign donations from property developers are causing Joshi to vote in their favor.
Reasoning: Joshi receives more money from developers than his peers do, and his voting record aligns with developer interests more than his peers' records do.
Analysis: This argument falls into the classic trap of assuming correlation implies causation. While it is suspicious that the money and the votes align, we can't be certain the money caused the votes; perhaps developers donate to him because they already liked his pre-existing political views. Look for an answer that points out the possibility of a third factor or a reversed relationship between the donations and the voting behavior.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage9.The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
Correct Answer
D
D is correct because the argument presumes that contributions cause Joshi’s pro-developer voting, when the observed pattern could easily be the reverse (his pro-developer voting could be what causes developers to contribute) or due to a third factor.
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