Both Alexander Gerschenkron and Jerry Hough view the former Soviet Union as an "anomalous" nation in certain fundamental respects. Gerschenkron sees the Soviet Union as deviating from the expected European pattern of industrialization, while Hough emphasizes how the Soviet Union differed from the standard type of bureaucratic organization. Despite this difference in orientation, bothauthors share a similar theoretical approach. First, both authors react in their works to specific explanations already existing in their fields. Gerschenkron responds to the prevailing belief that all countries pass through stages ofindustrialization similar to that of England's industrial growth and that states must possess certain specific prerequisites before they can industrialize. Hough reacts to the notion that only a bureaucracy that embodies theconventional American image of organization can operate efficiently. This idealized American image, known as monism, sees efficiency as maximized when bureaucrats perform only those duties passed down to them from acentral authority.
Second, both Gerschenkron and Hough also attempt to use their work to supplement the existing explanations prevailing in their fields. Gerschenkron expands W. W. Rostow'sindustrialization model by defining a causal factor, the "degree of economic backwardness," that he believes impacts, among other things, the speed and structure of a country's industrialization. In a similar vein, Houghconcludes that the centralized, monistic model of organization must be expanded if it is to enable efficient administration. He uses the Soviet experience to show that overlapping bureaucratic duties can sometimes promoteorganizational efficiency.
Ultimately, Gerschenkron and Hough succeed at their similar tasks; not only do both authors provide enough evidence to document the anomalous nature of the cases theyinvestigate, but they use their anomalous cases to increase the explanatory range of the existing theories without altering those theories beyond recognition.
Q. The author refers to the concept of monism in the second paragraph in order to
(A)support the claim that the former Soviet Union deviated in its development from the normal European pattern of industrialization
(B)refute the notion that Hough provides an alternative conception of bureaucratic efficiency
(C)demonstrate that Hough's work takes issue with the conventional view that efficient bureaucratic organization must conform to the American idealized image
(D)support the claim that Hough portrays the former Soviet Union as similar to most industrialized nations in its bureaucratic structure
(E)provide evidence for the conclusion that the former Soviet case displayed many elements of the idealized American model of bureaucratic organization
I think the ans is E but the OA is C. Please help.
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This idealized American image, known as monism, sees efficiency as maximized when bureaucrats perform only those duties passed down to them from a central authority.
You can see that Hough concludes that idealized monism must be expanded, so we can say that Hough has some issues with it. C looks apt.Hough concludes that the centralized, monistic model of organization must be expanded if it is to enable efficient administration. He uses the Soviet experience to show that overlapping bureaucratic duties can sometimes promoteorganizational efficiency.
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E is completely opposite to actual position in the argument. Try to relate the 2 lines of Hough in paragraph 2 and 3. If you don't get the point, post back.
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