PrepTest 157, Section 2, Question 14
Politician: Our public libraries are open only on(53 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(11 more words not shown)
- ALibraries and other(21 more words not shown)
- BIf use of(21 more words not shown)
- CTaxpayers who have(17 more words not shown)
- DThe best way(18 more words not shown)
- EA new tax(18 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A library that's open while you're at work isn't very convenient. I can see why the politician is frustrated.
We might expect the next step to be a recommendation for evening or weekend hours. Scheduling a service when its intended users are free makes practical sense. Otherwise, an adult might need to use a lunch break, or a child might have to miss school, to get there.
But the actual conclusion goes further: don't approve new taxes for the libraries unless the hours improve. The missing connection is between access and approving more taxes. Why must a library offer most taxpayers ample opportunities to use it before we approve a new tax? Perhaps someone would argue that serving the people who can currently attend is still worth funding.
What we’re looking for
The principle question asks us to support the politician, so we want a rule that supplies that connection. My prediction is that taxpayers shouldn't be asked for a new tax supporting a facility unless they have reasonable opportunities to use it. A rule that merely favors better hours won't reach the conclusion about tax approval.
Working the answers
- A
This would support changing the hours to make the libraries more convenient. But it doesn't tell us whether to approve a new tax before that happens. The politician's conclusion is about withholding tax approval, so the principle needs to connect inconvenience with that decision.
- B
This tells us what to do if access becomes more convenient: approve new taxes. We need to know what to do while access remains inadequate. A person could favor new taxes after improvements and also favor new taxes before them. B's positive rule doesn't establish the politician's restriction.
- C
This concerns taxpayers who have plenty of opportunities to use a facility. The passage describes the opposite situation: most taxpayers have few opportunities. Saying those with access should help pay doesn't establish that new taxes should be denied when access is inadequate. It also concerns paying taxes generally rather than approving this new tax.
- D
The best way to increase usage is a different question. Changing hours might be the best way to attract visitors, yet someone could still favor new taxes without that change. D doesn't make access a condition for tax approval.
- ECorrect
This makes ample opportunity for most taxpayers a requirement for approving a new tax. The libraries currently fail that requirement: most taxpayers and their families have few opportunities to use them. So, under this principle, new taxes shouldn't be approved while that situation remains. The rule connects the access problem directly to the politician's proposed restriction. It doesn't require opposing libraries or all taxes; it requires fixing the relevant lack of access before approving new support.
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