Official Explanation:Editorial: In the last four years in the state, the Freedonian political party has lost every election in which they fielded a candidate. The party’s leadership has decided to spend less on advertising for their candidates in the state’s upcoming congressional race, since there has been nothing to suggest that the voters are inclined to change their political affiliation. However, one Freedonian candidate will almost certainly do well, since she is running on a platform that is quite similar to that of the politicians who do currently hold office in the state.
Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the prediction that the Freedonian candidate will do well? (A) The Freedonian candidate was once a member of the political party that now has the most officeholders in the state.(B) In a recent poll, voters in the state overwhelmingly stated that they approved of their elected officials.(C) The decision to spend less on advertising Freedonian candidates in the state was made after the Freedonian candidate expected to do well and announced her candidacy.(D) In each successive election in the last four years, the Freedonian candidate was one of the three candidates who received the most votes.(E) The Freedonian candidate expected to do well has received substantial funding from individuals who have each made small donations to her campaign.Question Type: Strengthen
Boil It Down: Freedonian political party has lost every election, so they are not going to spend much money on advertising this year because it clearly doesn’t work. However, they do have one candidate they think might do well because her platform is similar to politicians who did win their elections.
Goal: Find the best option that shows WHY the Freedonian candidate might do well. Analysis:This question asks us to support the prediction made by the writer of the editorial.
Conclusion: One particular Freedonian candidate will almost certainly do well.
Evidence: She is running on a platform that is quite similar to that of the politicians who currently hold office in the state.
Assumption: Having a platform similar to that of the current officeholders will be enough to allow the candidate to “do well.”
The question is whether the assumption above is true. Choice B suggests it is, since voters like their current officials. This implies that adopting their platform will help a candidate.
(A) The Freedonian candidate was once a member of the political party that now has the most officeholders in the state.
The candidates past affiliation isn’t relevant. We don’t know if this means people will vote for her. There are too many missing pieces of information to know how this affects the conclusion.(B) In a recent poll, voters in the state overwhelmingly stated that they approved of their elected officials.
This is the correct choice. Imagine if this were not true. If people strongly disapproved of their elected officials, and the Fredonian candidate has a policy platform similar to theirs, then the conclusion is weakened.(C) The decision to spend less on advertising Freedonian candidates in the state was made after the Freedonian candidate expected to do well and announced her candidacy.
There is no way to connect this information with an increase in the likelihood that the candidate will do well because of her platform.(D) In each successive election in the last four years, the Freedonian candidate was one of the three candidates who received the most votes.
This doesn’t give us useful information. Did they come in a distant third? Even if we knew that these candidates did fairly well, that would not be enough to support the conclusion. Be cautious with choices that refer to past events, unless the conclusion does as well.(E) The Freedonian candidate expected to do well has received substantial funding from individuals who have each made small donations to her campaign.
Knowing that the candidate received “substantial funding” does not lead us to conclude that she’ll do well because of her platform.Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.