Bunuel wrote:
Conservative voter: Universal healthcare is a very controversial issue in our country that conservative voters have traditionally opposed, because of the cost to the taxpayer. Conservative voters should support universal healthcare, however, because under such a healthcare system the government would actually spend fewer tax dollars than at present. In other countries with universal healthcare, the governments spend less tax money per patient than our government currently spends for a healthcare system that is not universal.
A weakness in this argument lies in the fact that the voter
(A) gives an inconsistent definition of universal health care
(B) assumes that universalizing is the only way to reduce the cost per person
(C) changes the subject in order to establish a conclusion
(D) relies on a partisan position to make a policy recommendation
(E) couches an ad hominem (or personal) insult in constructive criticism
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Overview: In this question, a conservative voter comments on a policy traditionally opposed by conservative voters in an attempt to prove to fellow conservatives that the policy is worth supporting. Specifically, the conservative voter argues that universal healthcare is not as costly to taxpayers as other conservative voters usually believe and that the government should universalize health care because it would thereby actually spend less money per person than it currently spends. The student is asked to locate a weakness in the voter’s argument.
B The weakness in the voter’s argument rests on the fact that the voter seems to assume that the only way to reduce the cost of health care per person is to universalize health care (the voter argues for universal health care strictly on the grounds that it would save money relative to the current health care system). But there might be other options for reducing the cost of health care per person without universalizing health care. Answer choice (B) is most correct because it accurately states this problem.
The Incorrect Answers:A Answer choice (A) is incorrect because the voter does not explicitly define what he means by universal health care. Because he does not define what it would mean for health care to be universal in the first place, he does not offer an inconsistent definition of universal health care. Therefore, answer choice (A) cannot be correct.
C The conservative voter does not change the subject; the voter begins with the subject of health care (relating the issue directly to traditional conservatives and the cost of health care) and stays with this subject, making a specific recommendation about that same subject at the end. Answer choice (C) cannot be correct.
D Far from relying on a partisan position, the conservative voter rejects his usual partisan position in order to encourage other conservatives to support something that is not traditionally a part of the conservative platform. Therefore, answer choice (D) is incorrect.
E An ad hominem attack is a personal attack, and there is no indication of any personal insults in the conservative voter’s argument. Therefore, answer choice (E) can be eliminated immediately.