Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Investors are feeling good about the economy because they're buying stocks. Since happy voters usually re-elect their leaders, the current government will likely stay in power.

Conclusion: The current political party in power will probably win the next election.

Reasoning: Investors are buying stocks, which shows they are confident in the economy, and voter confidence in the economy usually helps incumbents.

Analysis: The argument makes a jump from 'investors' to 'voters.' It assumes that because people putting money into the stock market are confident, the general voting public must also be confident. For this logic to hold, there must be a link between these two groups. The argument 'needs' it to be true that investor confidence actually reflects or influences the confidence of the people who will be casting ballots. Look for an answer that bridges the gap between investor behavior and voter sentiment.

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15.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the journalist's reasoning?

Correct Answer
C
C bridges the critical gap: it asserts that investors’ economic attitudes do not differ greatly from those of voters in general. Negation test: if investors’ attitudes do differ greatly, their confidence tells us little about voter confidence, undermining the conclusion that incumbents are likely to retain power. So C is necessary.
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