The media claim that the economy is entering a phase of growth and prosperity. They point to lower unemployment rates

[BTGmoderatorDC]

The media claim that the economy is entering a phase of growth and prosperity. They point to lower unemployment rates and increased productivity. Their 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.


OA C

Source: Manhattan Prep

[deloitte247]

In this question, we are to find the assumption that the passage would most likely be dependent on. The passage concludes that the media is wrong in saying that the economy is entering a phaseof growth and development.

The basis for this claim is that more people are filing for bankruptcy and more bankruptcy lawyers are busier than before. So, for this statement to be valid, we need to assume that the increase in bankruptcy is as a result of the economy and not any other unrelated issue.

Option A - Incorrect
This option is wrong because it is nagating the claim that was made in the passage.

Option B - Incorrect
This claim doesn't necessarily create an assumption as economic growth can also be a measure of productivity.

Option C - Correct
This option is correct because it removes the possibility that the increase in bankruptcy is not because it is easier to file for it. The increase is because of the fact that the economy is not progressing. Negating this option changes the argument which provides an answer to the claim of the author.

Option D - Incorrect
This answer choice doesn't give us any information about the bankruptcy which is necessarily relates to the falsification of the media's claim.

Option E - Incorrect
This is wrong because it is restating the conclusion that the Media are most times wrong in their claim.

[Caritt]

But if you look at the statistics of people living below the poverty line over the last 20 years, you will notice that these statistics have halved. Therefore, it is not correct to objectively assess the poverty situation by the number of bankruptcies.