Columnist: It may soon be possible for an economy to function without

GMATNinja : could you help out with this one? Why is option A better than option D?

Main idea: too soon to operate a society without paper money <= the challenge is not with feasibility but with unwillingness of society to accept that govern record their transaction, the unwillingness that is justified. The conclusion will shortly summarize along the idea.

Explanation
A - correct: concisely capture the main idea
B - incorrect: there is no author' judgement about the rightfulness of society. Plus, this option miss the whole idea that the society will never accept
C - incorrect: similar to B, this option miss the whole idea that society will never accept that the government has too control over it
D - incorrect: there is no mention of author' judgement, whether right or wrong the fact the society's feeling, and also it miss out that assessment that the society that is in lieu of paper money is not feasible
E - incorrect: it wrongly state that the government will not be able; the gov is totally able to do but can't realize such ability because society will be unwilling

Columnist: It may soon be possible for an economy to function without paper money. Instead, the government would electronically record all transactions as they take place. However, while this may be technologically feasible it would never be willingly accepted by a society, for it gives the government too much power. People are rightly distrustful of governments with too much power.

Stimulus: columnist states that it may be too soon for an economy to function without paper money instead the government will record the electronic transactions as they take place. While this may be technologically possible it will never be willingly accepted by society for it gives the government too much power. People are distrustful of giving government too much power.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion of the columnist's argument?

(A) A society would never willingly accept a system in which, in lieu of paper money, the government keeps track of every transaction electronically.

(B) It is reasonable for people to distrust a government that has too much power. not mentioned in the stimulus

(C) New technology may soon make it possible for an economy to operate without paper money. the columnist states that technologically possible not will be possible. Hence can be eliminated

(D) People are right to be unwilling to give the government the power it would need to operate an economy without paper money. not stated whether people are right or wrong

(E) Even though it may be technologically feasible, no government will be able to operate an economy without the use of paper money. extreme and changes meaning of stimulus because it mentions no government will be willing to operate

IMO A

Hi EP2620
Option D has bent few facts
As per arguments "However, while this may be technologically feasible it would never be willingly accepted by a society, for it gives the government too much power. People are rightly distrustful of governments with too much power."

But option D says "People are right to be unwilling to give the government the power it would need to operate an economy without paper money."
Thus we don't know whether people are right or wrong to be unwilling to give the government the power.
However we are certain people are rightly distrustful towards government with too much power.

Hope this helps

Fantastic! Thanks so much for pointing out the difference, Harsh2111s!

Do you know of any other problem sets that have these kind of trap answers?

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