PrepTest 118, Section 4, Question 18
Decentralization enables divisions of a large institution to(48 more words not shown)
The statements above most strongly(6 more words not shown)
- AIn large institutions(11 more words not shown)
- BInnovation is not(6 more words not shown)
- CFor large institutions(7 more words not shown)
- DThe central administrations(15 more words not shown)
- EThe people directly(14 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
If a department can make its own decisions, the people making policy can also be the people carrying it out. I can see why the passage treats that as useful: they work with the details their plans have to fit.
The central administration gets a different benefit. It can concentrate on issues affecting the whole institution instead of becoming overwhelmed by daily operations. So my broad takeaway is that decentralization can let different people focus on the decisions closest to their responsibilities.
But watch how strong the planning claim is. The passage says autonomy always permits more realistic planning. For this question, we take that claim as given even if “always” would make us cautious in a real discussion.
What we’re looking for
We're asked what is most strongly supported. I'd expect a statement about those benefits, while avoiding a claim that decentralization solves every problem or is best overall. We haven't been given the disadvantages.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
If giving divisions autonomy always permits more realistic planning, an institution without that autonomy still has room to improve its planning. It isn't already at the maximum. That's the connection between the first two sentences: autonomy provides an available improvement over the less autonomous arrangement.
“Not maximally realistic” doesn't mean the current plans are hopeless. They could be fairly realistic while still allowing improvement. A makes that narrower comparison.
- B
Decentralization encouraging innovation doesn't tell us that centralized institutions sometimes fail to encourage it. They might encourage innovation through some other arrangement. The passage supplies a benefit of decentralization, not a rule that innovation can be encouraged only that way.
- C
We hear about advantages, but not disadvantages. Decentralization could create costs or coordination problems that the passage doesn't mention. We can't decide that the advantages outweigh everything on the other side when we haven't been told what that side contains.
- D
The passage describes what decentralization permits central administrators to avoid. It doesn't tell us how most existing institutions distribute their daily work or what central administrations usually do. A possible benefit isn't a survey of current practice.
- E
Being involved in implementation doesn't guarantee that every person can always produce innovative and realistic decisions. The passage says the arrangement encourages innovation and permits more realistic planning. Encouraging and permitting are weaker than guaranteeing everyone's ability to succeed every time.
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