Historian: Political regimes that routinely censor various

Question

Historian: Political regimes that routinely censor various forms of expression on the grounds that they undermine public morality inevitably attempt to expand the categories of proscribed expression to include criticisms that these regimes perceive to threaten their power. Accordingly, many totalitarian regimes classify as blasphemous or pornographic those writings that would, if widely influential, reduce public passivity.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the historian's reasoning depends?

A) Unless a piece of writing expresses something that is widely believed, it is unlikely to be very popular.
B) Not all political regimes that routinely censor forms of expression on the grounds that they erode public morality are totalitarian regimes
C) A totalitarian regime can perceive loss of public passivity as a threat to its power
D) Widespread public passivity is usually needed for a regime to retain political power
E) Most writings that totalitarian regimes label blasphemous or pornographic would, if widely infliuential, reduce public passivity.

Carloz · Answer

I guess c

ywilfred · Answer

I go with E. If these writing do not cause threaten widespread public passivity, then the conclusion does not hold up anymore.

crisnas · Answer

one more vote for C


krishna

popew626 · Answer

Agree with E.

qpoo · Answer

Why do totaliatrian regimes censor ? - Because they are afraid of losing power.
Choice C fills in the blank.

C. A totalitarian regime can perceive loss of public passivity as a threat to its power

rchadha · Answer

C.........seems most appropriate!

rahulraao · Answer

My vote for C

gandy_achar · Answer

C.

GA

ywilfred · Answer

Diagramming:

1) Political regimes censor various forms of expression because they undermine public morality
2) censorship expanded to include expressions such as criticism
3) Regimes perceive these to be a threat to their power
4) Accordingly, totalitarian regimes classify as blasphemous or pornographic writings that would reduce public passivity if the writings are widely influential.

Statement 4 is the conclusion. Points 1-3 are the premises and they state behavoirs of a political regime. Built upon these premises, the author concludes how a totalitarian regime would react to influential writings that are deemed to undermine their power. For this conclusion to hold, it must be true that these writing will reduce public passivity in the first place, otherwise there would be no unrest and hence no threat to the regime's power. 

I"ll stick by choice E for this problem.

edsilver · Answer

OA?????

edsilver · Answer

OA?????

duttsit · Answer

C one more.
E is more of an inference than an assumption.

Historian: Political regimes that routinely censor various

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