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CR A (democratic society)

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CR A (democratic society)

by vishalwin » Sun Dec 13, 2015 2:53 am
Columnist: A democratic society cannot exist unless its citizens have established strong bonds of mutual trust. Such bonds are formed and strengthened only by participation in civic organizations, political parties, and other groups outside the family. It is obvious then that widespread reliance on movies and electronic media for entertainment has an inherently corrosive effect on democracy.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the columnist's argument depends?

(A) Anyone who relies on movies and electronic media for entertainment is unable to form a strong bond of mutual trust with a citizen.

(B) Civic organizations cannot usefully advance their goals by using electronic media.

(C) Newspapers and other forms of print media strengthen, rather than weaken, democratic institutions.

(D) Relying on movies and electronic media for entertainment generally makes people less likely to participate in groups outside their families.

(E) People who rely on movies and electronic media for entertainment are generally closer to their families than are those who do not.


Please explain option A.
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by MartyMurray » Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:25 pm
vishalwin wrote:Please explain option A.
The assumption we are looking for in answering this question is one that connects reliance on movies and electronic media for entertainment with reduced participation in groups outside the family.

At first glance option A seems to fill that role. The prompt mentions participating in groups outside the family and option A seems to be referring to forming bonds outside the family. Option A is, however a classic trap answer, for various reasons.

The most glaring reason is the use of the word Anyone. For the argument to work it is not necessary that it be the case that nobody who uses movies and electronic media for entertainment be able to form any bonds with citizens. So this answer choice says something that does not have to be the case in order for the argument to work.

Further, the argument does not mention forming strong bonds. Rather it mentions participation in groups. One can participate in groups without forming strong bonds.

So A is a classic trap answer, one that seems to fit the question but does not really.

Look at the contrast between A and the OA, D. Whereas A seems to but does not really connect reliance on movies and electronic media for entertainment with reduced participation, the OA explicitly mentions a connection between relying on movie and electronic media and people being less likely to participate in groups outside their families.
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