During adolescence, the development of political ideology

Question

3-1 Section B 21-27

During adolescence, the development of political ideology becomes apparent in the individual; ideology here is defined as the presence of roughly consistent attitudes, more or less organized in reference to a more encompassing, though perhaps tacit, set of general principles. As such, political ideology is dim or absent at the beginning of adolescence. Its acquisition by the adolescent, in even the most modest sense, requires the acquisition of relatively sophisticated cognitive skills: the ability to manage abstractness, to synthesize and generalize, to imagine the future. These are accompanied by a steady advance in the ability to understand principles.

The child’s rapid acquisition of political knowledge also promotes the growth of political ideology during adolescence. By knowledge I mean more than the dreary “facts,” such as the composition of county government that the child is exposed to in the conventional ninth-grade civics course. Nor do I mean only information on current political realities. These are facets of knowledge, but they are less critical than the adolescent’s absorption, often unwitting, of a feeling for those many unspoken assumptions about the political system that comprise the  common ground of understanding —for example, what the state can appropriately demand of its citizens, and vice versa, or the proper relationship of government to subsidiary social institutions, such as the schools and churches. Thus political knowledge is the awareness of social assumptions and relationships as well as of objective facts. Much of the naiveté that characterizes the younger adolescent’s grasp of politics stems not from an ignorance of “facts” but from conventions of the system, of what is and is not customarily done, and of how and why it is or is not done.

Yet I do not want to overemphasize the significance of increased political knowledge in forming adolescent ideology. Over the years I have become progressively disenchanted about the centrality of such knowledge and have come to believe that much current work in political socialization, by relying too heavily on its apparent acquisition, has been misled about the tempo of political understanding in adolescence. Just as young children can count numbers in series without grasping the principle of ordination, young adolescents may have in their heads many random bits of political information without a secure understanding of those concepts that would give order and meaning to the information.

Like magpies, children’s minds pick up bits and pieces of data. If you encourage them, they will drop these at your feet—Republicans and Democrats, the tripartite division of the federal system, perhaps even the capital of Massachusetts. But until the adolescent has grasped the integumental function that concepts and principles provide, the data remain fragmented, random, disordered.   1 
 1. The author’s primary purpose in the passage is to

(A) clarify the kinds of understanding an adolescent must have in order to develop a political ideology
(B) dispute the theory that a political ideology can be acquired during adolescence
(C) explain why adolescents are generally uninterested in political arguments
(D) suggest various means of encouraging adolescents to develop personal political ideologies
(E) explain why an adolescent’s political ideology usually appears more sophisticated than it actually is

2 
 2. According to the author, which of the following contributes to the development of political ideology during adolescence?

(A) Conscious recognition by the adolescent of his or her own naiveté
(B) Thorough comprehension of the concept of ordination
(C) Evaluation by the adolescent of the general principles encompassing his or her specific political ideas
(D) Intuitive understanding of relationships among various components of society
(E) Rejection of abstract reasoning in favor of involvement with pragmatic situations

3 
 3. The author uses the term “common ground of understanding” ( Highlighted ) to refer to

(A) familiar legislation regarding political activity
(B) the experiences that all adolescents share
(C) a society’s general sense of its own political activity
(D) a society’s willingness to resolve political tensions
(E) the assumption that the state controls social institutions

4 
 4. The passage suggests that, during early adolescence, a child would find which of the following most difficult to understand?

(A) A book chronicling the ways in which the presidential inauguration ceremony has changed over the years
(B) An essay in which an incident in British history is used to explain the system of monarchic succession
(C) A summary of the respective responsibilities of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government
(D) A debate in which the participants argue, respectively, that the federal government should or should not support private schools
(E) An article detailing the specific religious groups that founded American colonies and the guiding principles of each one

5 
 5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about schools?

(A) They should present political information according to carefully planned, schematic arrangements.
(B) They themselves constitute part of a general sociopolitical system that adolescents are learning to understand.
(C) If they were to introduce political subject matter in the primary grades, students would understand current political realities at an earlier age.
(D) They are ineffectual to the degree that they disregard adolescents’ political naiveté.
(E) Because they are subsidiary to government their contribution to the political understanding of adolescent must be limited.

6 
 6. Which of the following best summarizes the author’s evaluation of the accumulation of political knowledge by adolescents?

(A) It is unquestionably necessary, but its significance can easily be overestimated.
(B) It is important, but not as important as is the ability to appear knowledgeable.
(C) It delays the necessity of considering underlying principles.
(D) It is primarily relevant to an understanding of limited, local concerns, such as county politics.
(E) It is primarily dependent on information gleaned from high school courses such as civics.

7 
 7. Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the author’s discussion of the role of political knowledge in the formation of political ideology during adolescence?

(A) He acknowledges its importance, but then modifies his initial assertion of that importance.
(B) He consistently resists the idea that it is important, using a series of examples to support his stand.
(C) He wavers in evaluating it and finally uses analogies to explain why he is indecisive.
(D) He begins by questioning conventional ideas about its importance, but finally concedes that they are correct.
(E) He carefully refrains from making an initial judgment about it, but later confirms its critical role.

Difficulty Level:   700

Raj30 · Answer

Can someone explain Q3?
How did we infer 'sense of political activity'?

neetib · Answer

Please explain Q2 and Q6

SajjadAhmad

kysb · Answer

4 /7 First RC 700 level attempt 13 Minutes . Last Question had A option selected but choose E god knows why

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello  Raj30

may this explanation clear your doubts

Explanation

3. The author uses the term “common ground of understanding” (Highlighted) to refer to

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

Read these lines from the passage

many unspoken assumptions about the political system that comprise the common ground of understanding—for example, what the state can appropriately demand of its citizens, and vice versa, or the proper relationship of government to subsidiary social institutions

These lines says that what public have an image of it government in their minds, what they think about government routine activities.

After reading these lines one easily can eliminate option B, D and E

(A)  familiar legislation regarding political activity
 The word legislation is extreme enough to cross this option as government has to do a lot of activities not just legislation.

(B)  the experiences that all adolescents share
 Too far away than what is being asked - definitely out of the race. 
 
  (C)  a society’s general sense of its own political activity 
This option meets the criteria that what society think about the general activities of government.

(D)  a society’s willingness to resolve political tensions
 Same as B, make no sense.

(E)  the assumption that the state controls social institutions
 This may be a trap answer as it is used the word assumption. this wrongly indicate assumption that the states controls social institutions while the real assumption is that what society's views are about government's general activities. So cross this too.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello @neetib i missed question number 2 but can explain question number 6 here it is

Explanation

6. Which of the following best summarizes the author’s evaluation of the accumulation of political knowledge by adolescents?

Explanation

Difficulty Level:   700

read these lines at start of each paragraph

Start of the 1st para  
"During adolescence, the development of political ideology   becomes apparent   in the individual"

Start of the 2nd para  
"The child’s rapid acquisition of political knowledge also   promotes the growth of political ideology during adolescence  "

Start of the 3rd para  
"Yet I do not want to   overemphasize   the significance of increased political knowledge in forming adolescent ideology.

This all highlights that option   A is correct.

amanbit · Answer

SajjadAhmad 
Please explain Qn 4.
How did we infer option D.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

This can be inferred by the lines 5-6 of the 1st paragraph.

As such, political ideology is dim or absent at the beginning of adolescence.

pradeepgontla · Answer

Sajjad1994  Kindly confirm the level of the passage.

richirish · Answer

Q4. OA is debatable imo - from the passage - ".. of the naiveté that characterizes the younger adolescent’s grasp of politics stems not from an ignorance of “facts” but from conventions of the system, of what is and is not customarily done, and of how and why it is or is not done"

This perfectly fits option A, open to suggestions and critique as to why D is a better option.

This perfectly fits option A, open to suggestions and critique as to why D is a better option.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi pradeepgontla

This is a 700 Level passage.

Thank you!

junii · Answer

Please post OE's for Q2, Q5 and Q7?

Nitisha03 · Answer

OE for Question 5 please.

(A) They should present political information according to carefully planned, schematic arrangements. - Can be inferred from the last paragraph.

By knowledge I mean more than the dreary “facts,” such as the composition of county government that the child is exposed to in the conventional ninth-grade civics course.
But until the adolescent has grasped the integumental function that concepts and principles provide, the data remain fragmented, random, disordered.

(B) They themselves constitute part of a general sociopolitical system that adolescents are learning to understand. - As this is inference question and option B is merely stating what is mentioned in paragraph.
 common ground of understanding—for example, what the state can appropriately demand of its citizens, and vice versa, or the proper relationship of government to subsidiary social institutions, such as the schools and churches.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi

Question #5

Explanation

5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about schools?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

(A)  is too strong or extreme, the passage never discusses implicitly or explicitly as such. It is out of the scope of the passage.

(B)  is the correct answer

The text helpful to lead to the  answer B

"they are less critical than the adolescent’s absorption, often unwitting, of a feeling for those many unspoken assumptions about the political system that comprise the common ground of understanding—for example, what the state can appropriately demand of its citizens, and vice versa, or the proper relationship of government to subsidiary social institutions, such as the schools and churches."

(C)  is unnecessary and provides outside knowledge which the passage didn't endorse.

(D)  is rather opposite and provides contradictory information.

(E)  is trying to trap us by discussing something which is available in the passage but it is considering too extreme to accept and leading to the wong side.

Answer: B

7. Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the author’s discussion of the role of political knowledge in the formation of political ideology during adolescence?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

This question is a type of global question and can be answered by reading and understanding the complete passage.

In the  first paragraph , the author introduces the topic and provides the definition of adolescence

In the  second paragraph , the author explains how political ideas are developed during adolescence

In the  third paragraph , the author modifies his initial assertion of the importance of social and political ideas in the minds of adolescence in the words:

Yet I do not want to overemphasize the significance of increased political knowledge in forming adolescent ideology.

In the  fourth paragraph , author concludes the topic

Only  A  is correct according to the above setting in the passage.  E  is rather opposite and no other option is as good as to be considered for the answer.

Answer: A

RamseyGooner · Answer

6/7 -> 9:24 mins
Can somebody please help me with a better eplanation for question number 4? Unable to connect the dots.

Jeemate · Answer

I took 12:30 mins to complete this paragraph and got 6/7 (I generally take a minute or two more in reading the paragraph)
Question No.4: It asks what would be most difficult for the child to understand and the answer is (D)
Explanation: In the last paragraph it is mentioned that a child can understand bits and pieces and would be able to drop information like Federal Systems, about Republicans and Democrats. In short children can understand book knowledge. So the child would find it difficult to understand debates because they are not facts but different perspectives and reasonings.

I wasn't able to understand the Question No. 6. Can anyone explain me that?

bM22 · Answer

Hi  Jeemate ,

Let us know if the below explanation helps.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/during-adolescence-the-development-of-political-ideology-288336.html#p2251617

Thanks.

Aryan638 · Answer

Please explain q4 
@SajjadAhmad

SuprotimRoy · Answer

Took a long time, 19:36 but got all correct.

egmat · Answer

Looking at question 4, I'll help you understand how to approach this inference question systematically.

Key Passage Insight:  The passage makes a crucial distinction between two types of political understanding:
 
  Facts/Information : Concrete details that can be memorized (like "the composition of county government") 
  Principles/Assumptions : Abstract concepts about how government should function (like "what the state can appropriately demand of its citizens")

The author emphasizes that early adolescents struggle most with the  second category  because they lack "the ability to manage abstractness, to synthesize and generalize, to imagine the future."

Analyzing Each Option: 
 Option A: residential inauguration changes  This is historical/factual information about concrete ceremonies - no abstract principles required.
 Option B: British monarchic succession  While this explains a system, it's still relatively concrete - following a specific rule of inheritance.
 Option C: Three branches' responsibilities  Classic "dreary facts" the passage mentions - can be memorized without understanding underlying principles.
 Option D: Debate on government funding private schools  ✓ This requires understanding  abstract principles  about:
 
 The proper relationship between government and "subsidiary social institutions" (schools) 
 What government should/shouldn't do 
 Competing philosophical viewpoints about government's role  
 Option E: Religious groups founding colonies  Historical facts with some principles, but primarily concrete information about who did what.

Answer: D
 
The debate in option D demands exactly what the passage says early adolescents lack: the ability to grasp "unspoken assumptions about the political system" and understand "the proper relationship of government to subsidiary social institutions, such as the schools and churches."

Strategy Tip:  In RC inference questions about what would be "most difficult," look for options requiring the  highest level  of the skill the passage says is lacking. Here, that's abstract thinking about governmental principles, not memorizing facts.

During adolescence, the development of political ideology

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

During adolescence, the development of political ideology

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