PrepTest 134, Section 3, Question 7
Tanner: The public should demand political debates before(51 more words not shown)
The dialogue provides the most(15 more words not shown)
- APolitical candidates with(15 more words not shown)
- BA voter who(21 more words not shown)
- CDebating skills are(15 more words not shown)
- DThe candidates with(20 more words not shown)
- EPolitical debates tend(18 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A serious debate could help voters learn about the candidates. I can see Tanner's reason for wanting one before an election, though merely putting candidates on a stage doesn't guarantee a serious exchange.
Saldana worries that debates reward performance. Someone could be excellent at winning an argument without being the best person for the job. Saldana therefore says debates don't really help voters identify the most qualified candidate. But couldn't strong debating skills sometimes reveal something useful about a candidate? I'm not sure Saldana has established that debates offer no help.
What we’re looking for
We don't have to decide who wins this exchange. The disagreement question asks where their stated positions conflict: does watching a debate help voters choose the better candidate? Tanner says yes; Saldana says no. Keep that separate from whether debates change votes or whether debating is useful once someone takes office.
Working the answers
- A
Tanner doesn't say whether strong debaters are more likely to win elections. He could agree that good debating helps a candidate win while also thinking debates help voters evaluate qualifications. Saldana's concern about who benefits doesn't establish opposing positions from both speakers on election outcomes.
- BCorrect
This asks whether watching a debate helps a voter identify the more qualified candidate. Tanner explicitly says it does; Saldana explicitly says it doesn't really help. Both address the same benefit, and they give opposed answers.
- C
Neither speaker assesses how useful debating skills are in doing the job after election. Those skills might help with negotiation or persuading other officials. The dialogue concerns what debates tell voters before the election, which is a different question.
- D
Tanner doesn't equate being the best debater with being the most qualified candidate. He says watching the candidates seriously debate helps voters choose. A voter might learn something useful even when the most polished performer isn't the best candidate. D assigns Tanner a stronger and different claim than he makes.
- E
Having a major effect on the winner isn't the same as helping voters choose well. A debate could strongly sway voters toward a poorly qualified but polished candidate. Or it could provide useful information without changing many votes. The speakers disagree about the quality of the information for choosing, not explicitly about the size of the effect on the election.
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