PrepTest 148, Section 1, Question 19
Politician: Of the candidates running, Thompson is the(38 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(10 more words not shown)
- AOpposing higher taxes(8 more words not shown)
- BBeing opposed to(10 more words not shown)
- CThompson has questionable(7 more words not shown)
- DAll of the(10 more words not shown)
- EAll of the(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why should a position on taxes decide who would be the best leader? Thompson could oppose higher taxes and still have serious problems on other issues. What if he wants to govern like an authoritarian? Or what if the nation's financial situation calls for a tax increase?
The politician answers none of that. We get Thompson's tax position and the claim that many people think that position makes someone a better leader. People agreeing with a standard doesn't establish that it's a good standard. Also, “best of these candidates” doesn't necessarily mean good: someone could be the least bad option.
What we’re looking for
To weaken this, we could show a serious problem with Thompson or challenge the supposed connection between opposing taxes and leading well. Let's see which answer most directly undermines the reason we're actually given to prefer him.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
This removes the alleged leadership advantage. The politician points to Thompson's opposition to higher taxes as a reason to prefer him. If that position contributes nothing to good leadership, it doesn't supply the claimed reason for ranking him above the other candidates. Their popularity-based endorsement doesn't repair the missing connection.
- B
This says opposing higher taxes doesn't guarantee good leadership. But something can improve a candidate's leadership prospects without guaranteeing that the candidate is good. The argument is also comparative: Thompson could be a bad leader and still be better than these alternatives. A goes further by saying the tax position doesn't contribute to good leadership at all.
- C
This is tempting because it raises the sort of other-issues concern we had. Questionable opinions could count against Thompson. But we're not told what those opinions are, how much they matter, or whether the competing candidates have even worse positions. So this doesn't give us a clear comparison. A directly dismantles the stated reason for preferring Thompson; C leaves us with a vague concern whose effect on that ranking is uncertain.
- D
Adequate isn't the same as best. Leaders who supported higher taxes could have performed adequately while leaders opposed to higher taxes performed better. This also concerns past leaders rather than establishing how the current candidates compare.
- E
Working hard doesn't necessarily make someone the best leader. These past leaders could have been hardworking while making poor decisions. We still wouldn't know whether Thompson's tax position makes him better than his current opponents.
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