The legislature of the Philippines voted recently to abolish the death

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The conclusion of the argument is that the majority of American citizens believe in the death penalty while the majority of Filipino citizens do not. This conclusion is based solely on the fact that the death penalty is legal in the United States while it is now illegal in the Philippines. The argument assumes that there is a link between the legal status of capital punishment and the beliefs of the majority of citizens.

(A) While the number of murders per year might influence beliefs about capital punishment, there is certainly no necessary correlation. Moreover, the difference in the number of murders per year in the United States and the Philippines has little relevance without knowing the relative populations of the two countries.

(B) CORRECT. It is possible that the legal status of capital punishment in the United States and the Philippines does NOT align with how the majority of citizens in those countries view the death penalty. For example, it may be that the governing bodies of one or both countries are out of touch with the views of the populace. The argument assumes that this is NOT the case.

(C) Even if there were strong voices opposing the death penalty in the United States, the argument might still hold. The argument is based on the views of the majority of citizens in the United States, not on all US citizens.

(D) The argument addresses whether or not citizens of the United States and the Philippines believe in the death penalty. The reasons behind those beliefs, as presented in this choice, are irrelevant to the logic of the argument.

(E) The argument is centered on whether or not citizens of the United States and the Philippines believe in the death penalty. While the legal standard used to sentence criminals to the death penalty might impact why individuals hold certain beliefs, it has no impact on the logic of the argument.