Newspaper editorial:
In an attempt to reduce the crime rate, the governor is getting tough on criminals and making prison conditions harsher. Part of this effort has been to deny inmates the access they formerly had to college-level courses. However, this action is clearly counter to the governor’s ultimate goal, since after being released form prison, inmates who had taken such courses committed far fewer crimes overall than other inmates.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A.Not being able to take college-level courses while in prison is unlikely to deter anyone from a crime that he or she might otherwise have committed.
B.Former inmates are no more likely to commit crimes than are members of the general population.
C.The group of inmates who chose to take college-level courses were not already less likely than other inmates to commit crimes after being released.
D.Taking high school level courses in prison has less effect on an inmate’s subsequent behavior than taking college-level courses does.
E.The governor’s ultimate goal actually is to gain popularity by convincing people that something effective is being done about crime.

it should be A

First I thought it is A, but I think the OA is C.

Assumption, assumes that the people who were released and took college level courses, were not already less likely to commit crime.
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Never give up,,,

Vote for C
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"Always....Read between the lines"

Yeah. It doesn't say anything about the affect of taking college level courses but if the point of the argument that the governor's plan "is clearly counter to the governor’s ultimate goal" because "being released form prison, inmates who had taken such courses committed far fewer crimes overall than other inmates" then how does this argument not assume that "The group of inmates who chose to take college-level courses were not already less likely than other inmates to commit crimes after being released"?

According to beatthegmat.com (http://www.beatthegmat.com/governor-and ... 14221.html) you guys are right and the OA is A but I don't see how C shifts the scope as to whether or not the courses were helpful. Also, since perserverance reworded A, I don't see how the argument doesn't assume them both. It's okay though. I'll take Manhattan GMAT as soon as I get my bonus and then I should have an eye to discern such differences. Thanks for your help, guys. I guess I just don't get this one. Every so often that happens.
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He that is in me > he that is in the world. - source 1 John 4:4

C acc to me
OA plz?
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If you think you can,you can
If you think you can't,you are right.

+1 for C

I found this question very interesting - there are competing OA's (A and C) doing the rounds - and IMO both of them are correct depending on what we consider the ARGUMENT to be. If the argument is based on the the governor's plan - viz banning the course would constitute a deterrent - then we need to assume that - not being able to take the course would act as a deterrent to commit crimes. Because if it does not - then people would keep committing crimes without paying heed and the governor's plan would fall apart.

On the other hand if the ARGUMENT is taken to be - the author's arugment that the governor's plan is flawed - the author of the passage bases her conclusion on the premise that - people who have taken the courses committed less crime after being released. For THIS conclusion to hold - we must necessarily assume that people were NOT ALREADY LESS LIKELY to commit the crimes anway. If they were then the usefulness of the course would be questionable and the AUTHOR'S argument falls apart.

My question is - what is the right approach in this question? I had chosen C - thinking it is the Author's conclusion whose assumption needs to be ascertained. But after hearing other people's comments about A - I am not sure what this question is really asking... Can an expert help? Testluv? Tommy? Sarai? Please!

c for me ...

P S :
On a lighter note even after 2 large on saturday evening my mind is still working

C
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