Critical Reasoning

Editorialist: News media rarely cover local politics
thoroughly, and local political business is usually
conducted secretively. These factors each tend to
isolate local politicians from their electorates.
This has the effect of reducing the chance that
any particular act of resident participation will
elicit a positive official response, which in turn
discourages resident participation in local politics.
Which one of the following is most strongly supported
by the editorialist's statements?
(A) Particular acts of resident participation would be
likely to elicit a positive response from local
politicians if those politicians were less isolated
from their electorate.
(B) Local political business should be conducted
less secretively because this would avoid
discouraging resident participation in local
politics.
(C) The most important factor influencing a
resident's decision as to whether to participate
in local politics is the chance that the
participation will elicit a positive official
response.
(D) More-frequent thorough coverage of local
politics would reduce at least one source of
discouragement from resident participation in
local politics.
(E) If resident participation in local politics were
not discouraged, this would cause local
politicians to be less isolated from their
electorate.

Confused between A and D

I was actually confused between B and D. I would go with D because less frequent thorough coverage isolates local politicians from their electorates.

This has the effect of reducing the chance that any particular act of resident participation will elicit a positive official response,

which in turn discourages resident participation in local politics.

So I think that more-frequent thorough coverage will reduce atleast one source of discouragement.

What's the OA?

IMO it should be D

A. "Particular acts of resident participation would be likely to elicit a positive response from local politicians if those politicians were less isolated from their electorate" - It mentions that "..to elicit a positive response from local politicians.." which is not supported in the stimuli. Stimuli states only the positive official response.

B. "Local political business should be conducted less secretively because this would avoid discouraging resident participation in local politics." - this is not the cause for the mentioned effect. This is also one of the 2 factors to cause an effect.

C. "The most important factor influencing a resident's decision as to whether to participate in local politics is the chance that the participation will elicit a positive official response." - The stimuli never mentions that it is the most important factor for a resident's decision.

D. "More-frequent thorough coverage of local politics would reduce at least one source of discouragement from resident participation in local politics." - Although it mentions only one of the 2 factors as a cause, it mentioned the word "at least". This is the correct choice.

E. "If resident participation in local politics were not discouraged, this would cause local politicians to be less isolated from their electorate." - This is a reversed cause and effect.

OA is D. Thanks for your explanations.