Conclusion: “This program would make it possible for ALL low-income families with children under age four to OBTAIN MORE child care than they otherwise would have been able to afford.” [stipulation: income taxes would have to be paid]
Prethink: what if they don’t pay income taxes right now? Then they wouldn’t receive any refund?
Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the claim that the program would make it possible for all low-income families to obtain more child care?
(A) The average family with children under age four spends more than $1,000 a year on child care.
Out of scope – What they spend doesn’t impact the amount they receive. Unless, there was some spending threshold or something? But this would have to be articulated within this answer choice to clarify the impact to the conclusion.
(B) Some low-income families in which one of the parents is usually available to care for children under age four may not want to spend their income tax refund on child care.
Out of scope – What they want to spend it on is irrelevant. We just know program -> refund $ -> obtain more child care because more money; if they want to spend it on child care or not is irrelevant.
(C) The reduction in government revenues stemming from the income tax refund will necessitate cuts in other government programs, such as grants for higher education.
Out of scope – where they cut funding is after the fact. This doesn’t impact the immediate conclusion at hand.
(D) Many low-income families with children under age four do not pay any income taxes because their total income is too low to be subject to such taxes.
This is it. This would remove them from even starting the program, so they wouldn’t receive the refund. THUS, these families would more than likely NOT obtain “more child care.”
(E) Income taxes have increased substantially over the past twenty years, reducing the money that low-income families have available to spend on child care.
This essentially supports the argument. And why the program would help. This wouldn’t call into question the claim that the program would make it possible to obtain more CC.