Q14 - Activist: President Zagel should resign

[mshinners]

Question Type:
Principle Support (Strengthen)

Stimulus Breakdown:
This activist thinks someone should resign if a widespread belief in a rigged election makes it difficult for her to govern.

The President's response? So many scandals, so many other resignations, that if she resigned, other countries wouldn't respect their country, which is unacceptable.

Answer Anticipation:
Two competing conclusions, based on two compelling interests. The activist expects resignation because perception will make it hard to govern. The President wants to stay to prevent losing face in the international community. Since this question asks us to strengthen the Activist's position, we need to know that her consideration (difficulty in governing) is more important than what the world would think.

Correct answer:
(E)

Answer choice analysis:
(A) Out of scope. This argument is about perception (both of vote rigging and of the international community), not the reality of the situation. Also, if anything, it seems this country isn't resistant to rigging.

(B) Opposite. The President tells us that resigning will decrease the country's reputation.

(C) Unwarranted comparison. There is never a comparison made between this vote-rigging scandal and those of the previous presidents.

(D) Out of scope. The Activist talks about the perception of rigging, not conclusive proof. Also, the activist wants the president to resign, not be removed from office.

(E) Bingo. If effective governance wins out over external viewpoints, the Activist's argument beats the President's.

Takeaway/Pattern: When a question asks you to pick between alternatives (in this case, to side with the Activist), you need to know the criteria for the decision. In this case, is effective governance more important, or is the world's perception?

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