The Civil Service Act of 1883, also known as the Pendleton Act, which created a professional corps of administrators, was passed after a disappointed office-seeker assassinated President James A. Garfield. For a hundred years, this system has anchored American government service to competence rather than corruption. The best way to preserve this state in the new millennium is to maintain the Pendleton Act as it is.

Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the argument's conclusion?

A.The methods that the Swiss and British governments have used to prevent corruption in government service for the past one hundred years

B.The current level of job satisfaction among government office-seekers and office-holders

C.The levels of competence and corruption in American government service between 1950 and the present

D.The number of Presidents assassinated since the passage of the Pendleton Act

E.The percentage of office-holders fired or convicted on charges stemming from corruption during the first hundred years of the Pendleton Act

GMATGuruNY wrote:

The Civil Service Act of 1883, also known as the Pendleton Act, which created a professional corps of administrators, was passed after a disappointed office-seeker assassinated President James A. Garfield. For a hundred years, this system has anchored American government service to competence rather than corruption. The best way to preserve this state in the new millennium is to maintain the Pendleton Act as it is.

Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the argument's conclusion?

A.The methods that the Swiss and British governments have used to prevent corruption in government service for the past one hundred years

B.The current level of job satisfaction among government office-seekers and office-holders

C.The levels of competence and corruption in American government service between 1950 and the present

D.The number of Presidents assassinated since the passage of the Pendleton Act

E.The percentage of office-holders fired or convicted on charges stemming from corruption during the first hundred years of the Pendleton Act

Make the answer choices EXTREME.
When the correct answer choice is made extreme, the conclusion of the argument will strengthened or weakened.

A.The methods that the Swiss and British governments have used to prevent corruption in government service for the past one hundred years have been hugely successful.

B.The current level of job satisfaction among government office-seekers and office-holders is very low.

C.The level of competence has been very high and the level of corruption has been very low in American government service between 1950 and the present.

D.The number of Presidents assassinated since the passage of the Pendleton Act has been very low.

E.The percentage of office-holders fired or convicted on charges stemming from corruption during the first hundred years of the Pendleton Act has been very high.

Only the extreme version of answer choice C helps to determine whether the Act has promoted competence and eradicated corruption.

The correct answer is C.