Mayor of Plainville: In order to help the economy of Plainsville, I am

Question

Mayor of Plainville:  In order to help the economy of Plainsville, I am using some of our tax revenues to help bring a major highway through the town and thereby attract new business to Plainsville.

Citizens' group:  You must have interests other than our economy in mind. If you were really interested in helping our economy, you would instead advocate the revenues to building a new business park, since it would bring in twice the business that your highway would.

Which one of the following principles, if accepted, would most help the citizens’ group to justify drawing its conclusion that the mayor has in mind interests other than Plainsville’s economy?

(A) Anyone really pursuing a cause will choose the means that that person believes will advance the cause the farthest.

(B) Any goal that includes helping the economy of a community will require public revenues in order to be achieved.

(C) Anyone planning to use resources collected from a group must consult the members of the group before using the resources.

(D) Any cause worth committing oneself to must include specific goals toward which one can work.

(E) Any cause not pursued by public officials, if it is to be pursued at all, must be pursued by members of the community.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

For another different question based on the same stimulus click on below link. https://gmatclub.com/forum/mayor-of-pla ... 88859.html

bhaskar123 · Answer

I think the answer is A.

Mayor of Plainville: In order to help the economy of Plainsville, I am using some of our tax revenues to help bring a major highway through the town and thereby attract new business to Plainsville.

This tells us in order to help the economy Mayor is using tax revenue for building the highway. We do not know if mayor owns land around the newly built highway. We do not know if his voter base is residing in that area. Mayor says A but his motive may be to achieve B.

Citizens' group: You must have interests other than our economy in mind. If you were really interested in helping our economy, you would instead advocate the revenues to building a new business park, since it would bring in twice the business that your highway would.

This tells us there is another way to help the economy and mayor is not choosing the shortest path to improving the economy.

Which one of the following principles, if accepted, would most help the citizens’ group to justify drawing its conclusion that the mayor has in mind interests other than Plainsville’s economy?

(A) Anyone really pursuing a cause will choose the means that that person believes will advance the cause the farthest. - this is what citizens are saying mayor is not taking the route that will improve the economy two times more but he is taking a route that will only be half as good. So citizens believe anyone really pursuing a cause will take actions that will increase the chance of success to the maximum.

(B) Any goal that includes helping the economy of a community will require public revenues in order to be achieved.- I don't think Any in the starting makes any sense. It is too extreme and involves all goals will require public revenue. There ought to be a way that does not require public spending to improve the economy. Besides this is not what citizens are saying. THey are saying Mayor has hidden agenda.

(C) Anyone planning to use resources collected from a group must consult the members of the group before using the resources. - Citizens are not saying mayor consult them or not.

(D) Any cause worth committing oneself to must include specific goals toward which one can work. - Well again too off the point from Citizen's views.

(E) Any cause not pursued by public officials, if it is to be pursued at all, must be pursued by members of the community. -no Citizens do not want to purse what public officials ignore. Sometimes Courts can intervene. Again this is not something Citizens are saying.

GokDoubleG · Answer

And what if the Mayor believes that the best way to improve the economy of the city is to build the highway?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

This asks for a principle that most strengthens the citizens' argument that the mayor has ulterior motives (other than the economy) in building his highway.

Answer choice (A):  This is the correct answer choice. The citizens contend that the mayor is not really pursuing a cause (helping the economy). They support this with evidence that the mayor's highway will not be as beneficial as a new business park. If this answer choice's principle is accepted—that really pursuing a cause means choosing the means that would most benefit that cause—then the mayor's choice that would not most benefit the economy suggests that he is not really pursuing that economic cause.

Answer choice (B):  This answer choice is incorrect. If anything, this may weaken the citizens' conclusion. Since the mayor's proposal requires public (tax) revenues, (B) suggests that this necessary condition for helping the economy is satisfied in case of the mayor's highway.

Answer choice (C):  This answer choice is irrelevant to the citizens' conclusion. There is no issue of anyone using public funds without public consent.

Answer choice (D):  This answer choice is irrelevant to the citizens' contention. There is no issue with specific goals in the stimulus.

Answer choice (E):  This answer choice is irrelevant to the citizens' argument. The issue is not whether the economic cause should be pursued by the community, but whether the mayor himself is pursuing the cause.

Answer: A

unraveled · Answer

Mayor of Plainville:  In order to help the economy of Plainsville, I am using some of our tax revenues to help bring a major highway through the town and thereby attract new business to Plainsville.

Citizens' group:  You must have interests other than our economy in mind. If you were really interested in helping our economy, you would instead advocate the revenues to building a new business park, since it would bring in twice the business that your highway would.

Which one of the following principles, if accepted, would most help the citizens’ group to justify drawing its conclusion that the mayor has in mind interests other than Plainsville’s economy?

(A) Anyone really pursuing a cause  will choose the means that that person believes  will advance the cause the farthest. - CORRECT. If not then Citizens' group is right in saying so.

(B) Any goal that includes helping the economy of a community  will require public revenues  in order to be achieved. - WRONG. Not necessary.

(C) Anyone planning to use resources collected from a group  must consult  the members of the group before using the resources. - WRONG. Not necessary. Goes to extreme.

(D) Any cause worth committing oneself to  must include specific goals  toward which one can work. - WRONG. Like C only but more problematic.

(E) Any  cause not pursued by public officials , if it is to be pursued at all,  must be pursued  by members of the community. - WRONG. Irrelevant and extreme scenario.

Note that the Citizens' group must be assuming something that is opposite to Mayor's argument. So, a choice that breaks the Mayor's argument must be the correct one.

Answer A.

Mayor of Plainville: In order to help the economy of Plainsville, I am

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Mayor of Plainville: In order to help the economy of Plainsville, I am

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