PrepTest 144, Section 4, Question 20
The public square was an important tool of(73 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(7 more words not shown)
- APeople speaking in(11 more words not shown)
- BAll citizens have(8 more words not shown)
- CA public forum(14 more words not shown)
- DThe Internet is(12 more words not shown)
- EOther than the(12 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why does serving as a public forum require protecting freedom of expression?
I can see the comparison between the town square and the Internet. Both let people exchange ideas about important issues. There are differences: an online discussion needn't be face to face, and participants can live far apart rather than share a town. Still, the passage identifies a common democratic role.
The conclusion sounds appealing, but agreeing with it isn't the same as explaining why it follows. The argument moves from the value of public discussion to a recommendation about how freely people must be allowed to speak. We need to connect those ideas. Does limiting discussion interfere with the forum's value to democracy?
What we’re looking for
That's what I'd look for in the required assumption: some reason freedom to discuss issues matters to the democratic function the author wants the Internet to serve.
Working the answers
- A
“At least as much freedom” is a comparison, not a claim that the earlier freedom was complete. Speakers in the old public square could have faced some restrictions. The author could still recommend that Internet users receive at least that same level of freedom.
- B
The argument concerns the freedom of people using the Internet. They don't all have to have equal access to it for the discussion that occurs there to matter. Differences in access don't eliminate the proposed connection between freedom of expression and the forum's democratic value.
- CCorrect
If people can't discuss issues freely, a public forum can become less effective as a tool of democracy. That connects the recommended protection to the benefit used to justify it. Without some such connection, pointing to the Internet's role in discussion wouldn't explain why protecting expression is important to preserving that role.
- D
Important discussions don't have to outnumber frivolous ones to matter. People could spend most of their time discussing entertainment and still use the same forum for valuable political debate. The argument doesn't depend on a comparison of how often the two kinds of conversation occur.
- E
The Internet can be useful without being the only useful forum. A town meeting or a gathering in a physical public square could still contribute to democracy too. The argument doesn't need to rule out every other place for important discussion.
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