The media claim that the economy is entering a phase of growth and prosperity. They point to lower unemployment rates and increased productivity. This analysis is false, though. The number of people filing for bankruptcy has increased every month for the last six months, and bankruptcy lawyers report that they are busier than they have been in years.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
A] Unemployment rates are not useful indicators of growth and prosperity.
B] Economic growth cannot be measured in terms of productivity.
C] Legislation has not been recently passed to make legal bankruptcy easier to obtain.
D] There has not been an increase in the number of bankruptcy lawyers.
E] The media often misrepresent the current state of economic affairs.
This CR concludes that the increase in the number of people filing for BANKRUPTCY proves that the ECONOMY has not entered a phase of growth and prosperity.
The assumption is that there is NO OTHER REASON for the increase in the number of people filing for bankruptcy.
Answer choice
C, negated:
Legislation has recently been passed to make legal bankruptcy easier to obtain.
The negation of
C implies that the increase in the number of people filing for bankruptcy is due to the RECENTLY PASSED LEGISLATION, invalidating the conclusion that the ECONOMY is to blame for the increase. Since the negation of
C invalidates the conclusion, C is the necessary assumption: WHAT MUST BE TRUE for the conclusion to be valid.
The correct answer is
C.
For those tempted by answer choice D:
The negation of this answer choice could potentially STRENGTHEN the conclusion. If there are MORE bankruptcy lawyers, and they
are BUSIER than they have been in years -- as is stated in the passage -- then the conclusion that the economy is not in phase of prosperity is STRENGTHENED. Since the negation of D could strengthen the conclusion, D is NOT something that MUST BE TRUE for the conclusion to be valid.
Eliminate D.
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