welfare fraud

The number of cases in which prison inmates manipulate the welfare system to provide themselves with benefits is very small. But the widespread public outrage over such cases makes them tempting examples to use in arguments for severely limiting welfare programs. This is because these rare but extreme cases of welfare fraud help to harden public public attitude towards welfare effectively than standard cases, in which needy, law abiding individuals receive benefits.

The claims can best serve as a part of argument against the view that

A) Those who wish to change public attitudes towards welfare spending should focus public attention only on standard cases of welfare assistance.
B) A type of welfare fraud can both be common and lead to widespread public outrage.
C) The frequency with which a type of welfare fraud occurs is a good indicator of its effect on public opinions.
D) The public is only interested in standard cases of welfare fraud.
E) Cases of welfare fraud occur less often than cases in which welfare benefits are not fraudulently received.

OA D
I chose A. Please explain your reasoning. What am i missing here?
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The question stem is "against the view that". Hence we have to choose the option which is against the stimulus. Option A is not against. In fact the argument/ stimulus supports A. hence A is wrong.

Out of all options. D is the only one which is definitely opposed by the stimulus. Hence D is the correct answer.

I am with Rahulg83. And why A support the argument?

The whole argument perfectly weaken A

If to weaken D, the argument could simply be shortened into below

The number of cases in which prison inmates manipulate the welfare system to provide themselves with benefits is very small. But the public outrage over such cases are widespread and very intensive.

Can anyone elaborate?

Definetly D

D states that People are only interested in standard cases of fraud. Implies- They are not worried about cases of fraud in welfare schemes happening in prisons.

Whereas the argument in the main statment is against this. Hence D

“But the widespread public outrage over such cases makes them tempting examples to use in arguments for severely limiting welfare programs.
This is because these rare but extreme cases of welfare fraud help to harden public attitude towards welfare effectively than standard cases, in which needy, law abiding individuals receive benefits.”

The argument asserts that public attitude is affected by welfare system fraud cases instead of standard cases where people are actually needy.

The claims can best serve as a part of argument against the view that

A) Those who wish to change public attitudes towards welfare spending should focus public attention only on standard cases of welfare assistance.

The claim is in favour of this argument; public attention should be focused on standard cases( instead of fraud cases) in order to change public attitude towards for welfare system.

However answer choice: D) The public is only interested in standard cases of welfare fraud- goes against the claim.

That's why the answer should be D.

The question stem states that extreme cases of welfare fraud help to harden public public attitude towards welfare more effectively than standard cases

Hence, this can be used as an aurgument when someone states that public is only interested in standard cases of welfare fraud. (Statement D)

IMO:D

Paraphrase the argument
Author is saying that public get more outraged when prison inmates commit fraud in welfare programmes THAN when standard fraud cases take place. Read the last line carefully.


Hence D.A supports rather than opposing.

I also will choose A