It is currently 05 Sep 2026, 15:40
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
GMATNinja
User avatar
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 7,399
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Products:
GMAT Club Tests
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 7,399
In a new book about the antiparty feeling of the early political
Post URL
08 Feb 2023, 08:48

Question 1


Kimberly77
Great explanation url=[https://gmatclub.com:443/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&un=GMATNinja]GMATNinja[/url], regarding question 1. I still find it very hard to comprehend to the level especially when under exam/timed condition that " The Presidents didn't have theories about the the early history of the US, because they were living through that history. In this context, only someone coming after the fact (such as a historian), could present such a theory."

My understanding of A is Ketcham's theory of two leadership ideologies are being compared to one another in the passage. So somehow A still wins over B. Where is my understaanding still going wrong here? Thanks GMATNinja :please:
Show more
This one is pretty nuanced! Even in your analysis, though, notice that you've only described one theory: Ketcham's theory. WITHIN that one theory, Ketcham describes two different styles of leadership, but that discussion is still under the umbrella of just one theory.

If the author presented the work of another scholar with a different theory, then we could say that the passage is primarily concerned with "describing and comparing two theories." Or if the author presented his/her own full theory, we could say the same.

However, the author doesn't do any of that. Instead, he/she just analyzes Ketcham's argument regarding the early presidents.

That's why (A) is out and (B) is the correct answer to question 1.

I hope that helps!

_________________
GMAT/GRE/EA tutors @ www.gmatninja.com | YouTube | Articles | IG

Beginners' Guides: RC | CR | Complete Resource Compilations: RC | CR

YouTube LIVE webinars: all videos by topic + 24-hour marathon for Ukraine

Question Explanation Collections: RC | CR | SC
Signature Read More
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
shanks2020
User avatar
Joined: 02 Dec 2018
Last visit: 13 Feb 2026
Posts: 235
Posts: 235
In a new book about the antiparty feeling of the early political
Post URL
14 Apr 2023, 06:11
KarishmaB
nikitamaheshwari
5. The author of the passage would most likely to agree with which of following statements about Ketcham?

(A) He overemphasizes the influence of classical ideals on the first six Presidents of the United States. - need explanation on this

(B) He fails to recognize that classical ideals had little influence on politics in the United States. - not mentioned in the passage

(C) He does not pay adequate attention to the negative aspects of the first six Presidents’ commitment to classical ideals.

(D) He inaccurately suggests that classical ideals gave rise to our modern notion of democracy. - classical conception of leadership was incompatible with our modern notion of the freedoms of speech and press, freedoms intimately associated with the legitimacy of opposing political parties.
Ketcham didnt even suggest that classical ideals gave rise to modern notion of democracy. It's just that he didnt wanted the classical notion to decline

(E) He underestimates the effect of ideologies other than the humanist tradition on the first six Presidents. - he underestimated the effect of one ideology - commerce and the ideologies usage is incorrect?

GMATNinja TargetTestPrep VeritasKarishma - can you please check my analysis and answer my questions
Thanks


5. The author of the passage would most likely to agree with which of following statements about Ketcham?

(A) He overemphasizes the influence of classical ideals on the first six Presidents of the United States.
The author does not say that Ketcham overemphasised the influence of classical ideals on first 6 Presidents. The author just informs us that Ketcham talks about the influence of classical ideals on first 6 Presidents.
The author instead says that Ketcham over justifies classical ideals (not their influence on Presidents)

(B) He fails to recognize that classical ideals had little influence on politics in the United States.

First 6 Presidents had adopted the classical ideals. Is the author saying that classical ideals had little influence on US politics? Perhaps not. Then whether Ketcham recognised this or not is out of question.

(C) He does not pay adequate attention to the negative aspects of the first six Presidents’ commitment to classical ideals.

Last two lines:
Ketcham is so strongly committed to justifying the classical ideals, however, that he underestimates the advantages of their decline. For example, the classical conception of leadership was incompatible with our modern notion of the freedoms of speech and press, freedoms intimately associated with the legitimacy of opposing political parties.

The author says that Ketcham does not pay attention to the negative aspects of commitment to classical ideals. Hence (C) is correct.

(D) He inaccurately suggests that classical ideals gave rise to our modern notion of democracy.

The author does not say that Ketcham suggests that classical ideals gave rise to modern notion of democracy.

(E) He underestimates the effect of ideologies other than the humanist tradition on the first six Presidents.

The author doesn't talk about what Ketcham felt about the effect of other ideologies. He only talks about what Ketcham felt about classical ideology.

Answer (C)
Show more

KarishmaB MartyTargetTestPrep

In Question 6, I understand that it is mentioned that political parties did not represent general good. But where is it written that they represented "opposing political interests"?
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
MartyTargetTestPrep
User avatar
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 24 Nov 2014
Last visit: 11 Aug 2023
Posts: 3,471
Status:Chief Curriculum and Content Architect
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Posts: 3,471
In a new book about the antiparty feeling of the early political
Post URL
14 Apr 2023, 07:32
shanks2020
In Question 6, I understand that it is mentioned that political parties did not represent general good. But where is it written that they represented "opposing political interests"?
Show more
Question 6 asks the following:

Which of the following best describes the attitude of the first six Presidents toward political parties as it is discussed in the passage?

We see that the passage says the following:

it is not surprising that the first six Presidents condemned political parties. Parties were partial by definition, self-interested, and therefore serving something other than the transcendent public good.

While, the passage doesn't directly say that parties "represented opposing political interests," it does say that parties were "self-interested," and thus they represented at least their own interests, which presumably differed and thus likely were opposing.

Here's what the credited answer says:

(E) Political parties represented opposing political interests rather than the general public good.

While that choice is not directly supported by the passage, and while this question could perhaps be more tightly constructed, we can say that that choice is the one that "best describes" the attitude of the first six presidents toward political parties.

_________________
See why Target Test Prep is the top rated GMAT course on GMAT Club. Read Our Reviews
Signature Read More
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
shanks2020
User avatar
Joined: 02 Dec 2018
Last visit: 13 Feb 2026
Posts: 235
Posts: 235
In a new book about the antiparty feeling of the early political
Post URL
14 Apr 2023, 08:50
MartyTargetTestPrep
shanks2020
In Question 6, I understand that it is mentioned that political parties did not represent general good. But where is it written that they represented "opposing political interests"?
Question 6 asks the following:

Which of the following best describes the attitude of the first six Presidents toward political parties as it is discussed in the passage?

We see that the passage says the following:

it is not surprising that the first six Presidents condemned political parties. Parties were partial by definition, self-interested, and therefore serving something other than the transcendent public good.

While, the passage doesn't directly say that parties "represented opposing political interests," it does say that parties were "self-interested," and thus they represented at least their own interests, which presumably differed and thus likely were opposing.

Here's what the credited answer says:

(E) Political parties represented opposing political interests rather than the general public good.

While that choice is not directly supported by the passage, and while this question could perhaps be more tightly constructed, we can say that that choice is the one that "best describes" the attitude of the first six presidents toward political parties.
Show more

MartyTargetTestPrep

Thanks for the wonderful explanation!
Just wondering, is the same would have been right had it been a CR inference question. This is like saying "I will look after myself" is same as "I will not like you". I have seen in various official RC questions, where inference takes a lot of assumptions.
Is that something normal for GMAT RC questions? and we should try looking answer from that perspective?
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 05 Sep 2026
Posts: 16,643
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,643
In a new book about the antiparty feeling of the early political
Post URL
14 Apr 2023, 23:20
shanks2020
KarishmaB
nikitamaheshwari
5. The author of the passage would most likely to agree with which of following statements about Ketcham?

(A) He overemphasizes the influence of classical ideals on the first six Presidents of the United States. - need explanation on this

(B) He fails to recognize that classical ideals had little influence on politics in the United States. - not mentioned in the passage

(C) He does not pay adequate attention to the negative aspects of the first six Presidents’ commitment to classical ideals.

(D) He inaccurately suggests that classical ideals gave rise to our modern notion of democracy. - classical conception of leadership was incompatible with our modern notion of the freedoms of speech and press, freedoms intimately associated with the legitimacy of opposing political parties.
Ketcham didnt even suggest that classical ideals gave rise to modern notion of democracy. It's just that he didnt wanted the classical notion to decline

(E) He underestimates the effect of ideologies other than the humanist tradition on the first six Presidents. - he underestimated the effect of one ideology - commerce and the ideologies usage is incorrect?

GMATNinja TargetTestPrep VeritasKarishma - can you please check my analysis and answer my questions
Thanks


5. The author of the passage would most likely to agree with which of following statements about Ketcham?

(A) He overemphasizes the influence of classical ideals on the first six Presidents of the United States.
The author does not say that Ketcham overemphasised the influence of classical ideals on first 6 Presidents. The author just informs us that Ketcham talks about the influence of classical ideals on first 6 Presidents.
The author instead says that Ketcham over justifies classical ideals (not their influence on Presidents)

(B) He fails to recognize that classical ideals had little influence on politics in the United States.

First 6 Presidents had adopted the classical ideals. Is the author saying that classical ideals had little influence on US politics? Perhaps not. Then whether Ketcham recognised this or not is out of question.

(C) He does not pay adequate attention to the negative aspects of the first six Presidents’ commitment to classical ideals.

Last two lines:
Ketcham is so strongly committed to justifying the classical ideals, however, that he underestimates the advantages of their decline. For example, the classical conception of leadership was incompatible with our modern notion of the freedoms of speech and press, freedoms intimately associated with the legitimacy of opposing political parties.

The author says that Ketcham does not pay attention to the negative aspects of commitment to classical ideals. Hence (C) is correct.

(D) He inaccurately suggests that classical ideals gave rise to our modern notion of democracy.

The author does not say that Ketcham suggests that classical ideals gave rise to modern notion of democracy.

(E) He underestimates the effect of ideologies other than the humanist tradition on the first six Presidents.

The author doesn't talk about what Ketcham felt about the effect of other ideologies. He only talks about what Ketcham felt about classical ideology.

Answer (C)

KarishmaB MartyTargetTestPrep

In Question 6, I understand that it is mentioned that political parties did not represent general good. But where is it written that they represented "opposing political interests"?
Show more

It is not mentioned verbatim but implied.

this tradition stressed the disinterested devotion of political leaders to the public good ... Given this classical conception of leadership, it is not surprising that the first six Presidents condemned political parties. Parties were partial by definition, self-interested, and therefore serving something other than the transcendent public good.

Parties were self-serving and partial to themselves. So different parties would have different views on what the course of action should be in each case. For the first 6 Presidents, everyone would think about general public good and decide accordingly. So their philosophy was based on the same ideology - general public good. But the ideologies of parties would be different from each other. They would be opponents of each other.

Take a simple example:

A's ideology is public good - The project should go to the lowest bidder with acceptable quality

Political party 1 - I will take the project.
Political party 2 - I will take the project.
The parties will look after their own self interest and become opponents.

Hence (E) works and as Marty mentioned, it is the best option of the lot.

_________________
-
Start FREE with selected GMAT/EA Content upon registration at anaprep.com

YouTube Channel: karishma.anaprep
Signature Read More
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
VerbalBot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 19,647
Posts: 19,647
In a new book about the antiparty feeling of the early political
Post URL
16 Jul 2026, 20:39
Automated notice from GMAT Club VerbalBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.

_________________

Need more similar questions? Run a 5 to 10 question quiz in GMAT Club Forum Quiz →

Signature Read More
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
   1   2 
NEW TOPIC
POST REPLY
Downloads
My Bookmarks
Reviews
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7399 posts
BhardwajS
Verbal Forum Moderator
46 posts