PrepTest 148, Section 4, Question 9
Pundit: It is good to have national leaders(70 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- AIf national leaders(23 more words not shown)
- BNational leaders who(18 more words not shown)
- CNational leaders are(10 more words not shown)
- DNational leaders who(17 more words not shown)
- ENational leaders should(14 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Replacing leaders can have costs. New people may need time to learn the job, and frequent changes might make policy less consistent. So why does the pundit think turnover is good?
The first reason is that reforms usually happen early in a new government. That makes new leadership look useful if we want problems addressed. We could still question whether every reform is beneficial, but the author is using the chance of reform as a reason to favor replacing leaders.
The last part explains the problem with leaving an issue unattended. Once leaders have been in office while a problem persists, acknowledging it may mean accepting blame. They have an incentive to say there is no problem or nothing could have been done. New leaders don't face that same need to defend their own earlier inaction.
What we’re looking for
Now the parts fit together: early reform is a reason for turnover, and the later pressure to deny neglected problems helps explain why fresh leadership might be useful. For the main conclusion, keep returning to the claim those reasons support: it is good to vote national leaders out after a few years.
Working the answers
- A
This predicts that replacement leaders will be more motivated to solve problems if unsuccessful leaders are voted out. The passage doesn't make that particular incentive claim. Its point is that turnover is desirable, supported by when reforms occur and the difficulty of acknowledging neglected problems.
- B
This resembles the discussion of leaders avoiding responsibility for longstanding problems. But that discussion is a reason for the recommendation to replace leaders, not the recommendation itself. B also describes leaders who stay 'too long,' while the passage frames the problem in terms of failing to act quickly. Either way, it leaves out the main point about voting leaders out.
- C
This captures the supporting idea that reforms generally occur early in a new government. Why does the pundit mention that? To explain why replacing leaders after a few years would be good. Picking a statement the author uses as evidence would stop before the conclusion we are asked to identify.
- D
The author doesn't tell us to give quick-acting leaders more time to complete their work. That could be an interesting response to the argument, but it isn't its point. The stated recommendation concerns regularly replacing national leaders, not an exception allowing some to stay longer.
- ECorrect
This restates the opening judgment in the form of a recommendation: vote in new national leaders every few years. The claims about early reforms and later avoidance of blame are offered to explain why that turnover is desirable. We can identify that point without deciding that the argument answers every objection to frequent replacement.
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