CR - Negation - Strengthener

C
The government's energy policy encourages individuals to use alternative fuels instead of gasoline by subsidizing alternative fuels.
hence, the price of gasoline is kept high to discourage its use.

OA plz

karthikpandian19 wrote:Economist: Typically, the price of gasoline adjusts to reflect the price of crude oil. As the price of crude oil increases or decreases, so does the price of gasoline. However, the recent decrease in the price of crude oil has not been accompanied by a decrease in the price of gasoline in Country X. This unusual occurrence is not random; it is the planned result of the government's energy policy.

Which of the following, if true, provides evidence that supports the economist's conclusion?

Conclusion: The prices of gasoline does not fall with decrease in crude oil price because of "government policy".

(A) The price of gasoline does not usually increase unless the price of crude oil increases.
This may or may not support the conclusion. We only know that government policy does not allow the
the price of gasoline to decrease. We know nothing about the upward trend. No.

(B) Businesses that sell gasoline in Country X are not engaged in anti-competitive practices that would inflate the price of gasoline.
This supports the conclusion by eliminating an alternate cause. If businesses were to engage in anti-competitive practices to inflate gasoline price, the conclusion would be weakened. CORRECT.

(C) The government's energy policy encourages individuals to use alternative fuels instead of gasoline by subsidizing alternative fuels.
If anything, this should lead to lowering of gasoline prices by decreasing quantity demanded. No.

(D) To discourage the use of gasoline, the government in neighboring Country Y imposes taxes that increase the price of gasoline.
Who cares about Country Y. Out of scope. No.

(E) Rapid price fluctuations have recently caused businesses that sell gasoline to discontinue their historical practice of adjusting their prices to reflect the price of crude oil.
Again, this potentially weakens the argument by giving an alternate cause. No.

Hence the correct answer should be B.

OA is B


The argument describes a typical relationship between the price of gasoline and the price of crude oil. Then, the argument notes that the relationship has not held true recently. Finally, without further justification, the argument attributes this recent occurrence to a specific cause-our government's energy policy. The correct answer will strengthen the causal relationship between the government's energy policy and the recent unusual occurrence.

Choice B is correct. It rules out a plausible alternative explanation for the recent disconnect between the price of crude oil and the price of gasoline in Country X and therefore increases the likelihood that the government's energy policy is the cause of the recent unusual occurrence.

Choice A does not strengthen the argument. If the price of gasoline does not usually increase unless the price of crude oil increases, then perhaps it is unusual that the price of gasoline has not decreased even though the price of crude oil has decreased. However, choice A does not strengthen the conclusion that the government's energy policy (or that anything in particular) is the cause of the recent unusual occurrence.

Choice C seems to strengthen the argument, because it states that the government's energy policy specifically encourages individuals to use alternative fuels instead of gasoline. However, choice C also specifically states that the energy policy encourages individuals to use alternative fuels instead of gasoline by subsidizing (i.e. lowering the price of) alternative fuels. Choice C does not explain how the government's energy policy could affect the price of gasoline and therefore does not strengthen the argument.

Choice D is also tempting, because it suggests a possible way that a government could cause the price of gasoline to remain high even if the cost of the raw materials used to produce that good decrease in price. However, choice D only discusses a policy that exists in Country Y and gives us no reason to believe that a similar policy also exists in Country X.

Choice E actually weakens the argument, because it supports a plausible alternative explanation for the recent disconnect between the price of gasoline and the price of crude oil other than the government's energy policy.

Choice B is correct.

karthikpandian19 wrote:Economist: Typically, the price of gasoline adjusts to reflect the price of crude oil. As the price of crude oil increases or decreases, so does the price of gasoline. However, the recent decrease in the price of crude oil has not been accompanied by a decrease in the price of gasoline in Country X. This unusual occurrence is not random; it is the planned result of the government's energy policy.

Which of the following, if true, provides evidence that supports the economist's conclusion?


(A) The price of gasoline does not usually increase unless the price of crude oil increases.

(B) Businesses that sell gasoline in Country X are not engaged in anti-competitive practices that would inflate the price of gasoline.

(C) The government's energy policy encourages individuals to use alternative fuels instead of gasoline by subsidizing alternative fuels.

(D) To discourage the use of gasoline, the government in neighboring Country Y imposes taxes that increase the price of gasoline.

(E) Rapid price fluctuations have recently caused businesses that sell gasoline to discontinue their historical practice of adjusting their prices to reflect the price of crude oil.