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Following a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation 05 Dec 2020, 20:06
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C is comparing the numbers before the busing campaign to the numbers after the busing campaign -- we KNOW this information already. This piece of information doesn't add anything new to what is already stated.

D provides with information that helps us evaluate the argument; if we know how voter turnout was in precincts with similar demographics that did not implement a busing campaign, we can assess whether the busing campaign did increase voter participation.

Answer is D.
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Following a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation 06 Dec 2020, 02:16
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Following a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation, Lakeview's election board claimed that the increased participation in its precinct resulted from the new busing campaign that brought many voters to their neighborhood polling station on Election Day.

Which of the following, if it could be carried out, would be most useful in an evaluation of Lakeview's assessment of the causes of the increased voter participation in its precinct?

(A) Determining the average increase in voter participation in each neighborhood of Lakeview.

(B) Using polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming election in Lakeview's precinct.

(C) Comparing the total number of voters participating when the busing campaign brought them to their neighborhood polling station to the total number of voters participating before the busing campaign.

(D) Comparing the increase in voter participation in Lakeview to the increase in participation in precincts demographically similar to Lakeview that did not implement busing campaigns.

(E) Comparing the long-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter registration patterns with the short-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter participation.

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Correct Answer: D

The comparison suggested in D would be useful in evaluating Lakeview's assessment of the causes of the increase in its voter participation. If the increase in voting is as great in precincts that are, except for the existence of busing campaigns, demographically similar to Lakeview, then the conclusion is undermined. However, if the increase in participation is not as great in such precincts as in Lakeview, the election board's claim is supported. Thus, choice D is the best answer.

Choices A and B are both inappropriate because they concern only the rates of participation, and do not assess a hypothesis of the causes of participation.

Choices C and E suggest comparisons that would not assess the election board's claim about this election.

Rather, choices C and E suggest comparisons of separate elections within Lakeview, where factors other than the busing campaign may cause different rates of participation.

The state has seen a boom in voter registration and participation.
Lakeview, a precinct, experienced an increased participation.
Lakeview's election board claimed it is because of the busing campaign.

We need to evaluate this claim - whether busing campaign played a role.

(A) Determining the average increase in voter participation in each neighborhood of Lakeview.

Dividing Lakeview into neighbourhoods and comparing those will not help evaluate if busing campaign helped. We know that busing campaign was run across the precinct to bring people to their neighbourhood polling station.

(B) Using polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming election in Lakeview's precinct.

Any prediction will not help in arriving at the reason.

(C) Comparing the total number of voters participating when the busing campaign brought them to their neighborhood polling station to the total number of voters participating before the busing campaign.

The most tricky one - we want to compare numbers before and after the busing campaign. Sure. But how does that help? We already know that "after" numbers are greater than "before" numbers. The argument says "increased numbers in Lakeview". Say I find that participation was 50% before and is 60% now. How does this tell me whether the busing campaign helped or something else? There has been a state wide boom in numbers and in Lakeview too.

(D) Comparing the increase in voter participation in Lakeview to the increase in participation in precincts demographically similar to Lakeview that did not implement busing campaigns.

Now this makes sense. When the comparison is with "similar units", it is often relevant. Comparing with demographically similar precincts, if we see that other precincts have seen a similar increase too without the busing campaign, it is possible that a second factor is causing increase everywhere. If other similar precincts which had no busing campaign did not see an increase, it increases the probability that busing campaign helped in increasing participation.

(E) Comparing the long-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter registration patterns with the short-term impact of the busing campaign on Lakeview's voter participation.

Irrelevant.

Answer (D)
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Thanks for the explanation.

Could you explain that why option A is wrong

The argument told that the number of voters increased, so there might be chance that the population of the Lakeview increased this year.
So the number of people eligible for voting will also increase, the average increase may provide us the better picture whether the campaign was effective or increase was just because of population growth.
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Following a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation 26 Jan 2021, 07:16
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GMATNinja AndrewN generis BillyZ AjiteshArun

Please help with B and D.

My reasoning.

Quote:
(B) Using polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming election in Lakeview's precinct.
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If we use the polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming elections in Lakeview's precinct, we will be able to tell whether the increased participation is because of the busing campaign.
If the participation rate is less, the busing campaign did not help.
If it is high, the busing campaign did help.


Quote:
(D) Comparing the increase in voter participation in Lakeview to the increase in participation in precincts demographically similar to Lakeview that did not implement busing campaigns.
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Although the other sub divisions are demographically similar to Lakeview, what happens in other sub divisions will not guarantee the same in Lakeview.
Suppose in the other sub divisions the participation was huge, but how does it impacts Lakeview?? It may or may not be possible that voter participation increased in Lakeview.

Please help!
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Following a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation 26 Jan 2021, 14:34
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warrior1991
GMATNinja AndrewN generis BillyZ AjiteshArun

Please help with B and D.

My reasoning.

Quote:
(B) Using polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming election in Lakeview's precinct.
If we use the polling data to predict the participation rates for the upcoming elections in Lakeview's precinct, we will be able to tell whether the increased participation is because of the busing campaign.
If the participation rate is less, the busing campaign did not help.
If it is high, the busing campaign did help.


Quote:
(D) Comparing the increase in voter participation in Lakeview to the increase in participation in precincts demographically similar to Lakeview that did not implement busing campaigns.
Although the other sub divisions are demographically similar to Lakeview, what happens in other sub divisions will not guarantee the same in Lakeview.
Suppose in the other sub divisions the participation was huge, but how does it impacts Lakeview?? It may or may not be possible that voter participation increased in Lakeview.

Please help!
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Hello, warrior1991. I think I may have told you this before, but it looks to me as if you have applied one-step-removed thinking, and that often leads to wayward conclusions. Regarding (B), making a prediction about participation rates based on polling data will only reveal what the passage already tells us, namely that there was a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation. We get no insight into what might have caused that boom, whether the new busing campaign proved successful or had a negligible effect.

Although it is true in (D) that a precinct-to-precinct comparison might not necessarily tell us whether the Lakeview busing campaign led directly to increased voter registration and participation, notice that we are comparing an increase to other increases in the very area we are examining, and, further, that the populations within the comparison are similar. In fact, the only discernible difference between these other precincts and Lakeview appears to be this busing campaign. Thus, if the Lakeview data show any kind of significant variance from the other data, it would be reasonable to conclude that the unique factor—the busing campaign—did indeed cause such a difference. This situation is more or less like an experimental drug trial, and in this case, the other precincts would serve as the control group while Lakeview would be the group taking the drug.

I hope that makes sense. Thank you for thinking to ask me.

- Andrew
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Following a state-wide boom in voter registration and participation 04 Oct 2024, 21:30
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