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Updated on: 07 Mar 2026, 09:04
Originally posted by MartyMurray on 22 Feb 2025, 15:12.
Last edited by MartyMurray on 07 Mar 2026, 09:04, edited 2 times in total.
Last edited by MartyMurray on 07 Mar 2026, 09:04, edited 2 times in total.
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B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
30% (01:59) correct
70%
(02:08)
wrong
based on 274
sessions
History
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Time
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Not Attempted Yet
President: Population growth in our country is causing a housing crisis because resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth are in short supply. So, to make housing affordable for our citizens, we must find a way to reduce the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the case for the president’s conclusion?
(A) If the country’s population were to stop growing, it would take several years for the supply of housing to become sufficient for the housing crisis to be solved.
(B) Some studies have shown that, if the country’s rate of population growth were 20 percent lower, the rate of growth in the supply of housing might exceed the population growth rate.
(C) When the housing crisis began, the country’s rate of population growth was lower than it is currently.
(D) Even with a greater supply of resources, it may not be possible to create new housing fast enough to keep up with the country's population growth at its current rate.
(E) There are factors other than population growth that are having an upward effect on housing prices in the country.
Source: Marty Murray Coaching
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the case for the president’s conclusion?
(A) If the country’s population were to stop growing, it would take several years for the supply of housing to become sufficient for the housing crisis to be solved.
(B) Some studies have shown that, if the country’s rate of population growth were 20 percent lower, the rate of growth in the supply of housing might exceed the population growth rate.
(C) When the housing crisis began, the country’s rate of population growth was lower than it is currently.
(D) Even with a greater supply of resources, it may not be possible to create new housing fast enough to keep up with the country's population growth at its current rate.
(E) There are factors other than population growth that are having an upward effect on housing prices in the country.
Source: Marty Murray Coaching
22 Feb 2025, 18:04
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President: Population growth in our country is causing a housing crisis because resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth are in short supply. So, to make housing affordable for our citizens, we must find a way to reduce the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent.
The conclusion of the argument is the following:
to make housing affordable for our citizens, we must find a way to reduce the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent
The support for the conclusion is the following:
Population growth in our country is causing a housing crisis because resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth are in short supply.
We see that the reasoning is basically that, since there aren't sufficient resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth, reducing the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent is necessary for making housing affordable.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the case for the president’s conclusion?
This is a Weaken question, and the correct answer will cast doubt on the conclusion.
Specifically, the correct answer will show that, even though the premise is true, reducing population growth by at least 30 percent may not be necessary for making housing affordable.
(A) If the country’s population were to stop growing, it would take several years for the supply of housing to become sufficient for the housing crisis to be solved.
The conclusion of the argument is not that reducing population growth will quickly solve the housing crisis. Rather, the conclusion is basically that reducing population growth is necessary for solving the housing crisis.
So, this choice does not cast doubt on the conclusion. After all, even if it would take several years for the crisis to be solved, reducing population growth may still be necessary for solving it.
Eliminate.
(B) Some studies have shown that, if the country’s rate of population growth were 20 percent lower, the rate of growth in the supply of housing might exceed the population growth rate.
This choice is interesting.
After all, if this choice is true, then it may not be true that reducing the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent is necessary for making housing affordable.
After all, if this choice is true, then what the studies have shown indicates that reducing the rate of population growth by 20 percent may be sufficient for making housing affordable.
In that case, while reducing the rate of population growth somewhat may be necessary, reducing it by "at least 30 percent" may not be.
So, this choice casts doubt on the conclusion.
Keep.
(C) When the housing crisis began, the country’s rate of population growth was lower than it is currently.
If anything, this choice in a way strengthens, rather than weakens, the argument.
After all, if population growth is causing the housing crisis and, when the crisis began, the country’s rate of population growth was lower than it is currently, then it seems likely that reducing population growth substantially, to below its level when the crisis began, is necessary for making housing affordable.
Eliminate.
(D) Even with a greater supply of resources, it may not be possible to create new housing fast enough to keep up with the country's population growth at its current rate.
If anything, this choice in a way strengthens, rather than weakens, the argument.
After all, if this choice is true, then we have some confirmation that reducing the rate of population growth is necessary for making housing affordable. After all, this choice indicates that, even if another factor involved in the crisis, limited supply of resources, is addressed, the crisis may continue.
Eliminate.
(E) There are factors other than population growth that are having an upward effect on housing prices in the country.
We have to be careful not to choose this choice just because it brings up other causes of high housing prices. A choice that brings up alternative causes may not be correct, and this choice is not the correct answer to this question.
After all, even if other factors are having an upward effect on housing prices, the president has stated as fact that population growth is causing a housing crisis because resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth are in short supply.
So, even if this choice is true, it could still be the case that finding a way to reduce the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent is necessary for making housing affordable.
In other words, the president hasn't said that reducing the rate of population growth is sufficient for making housing affordable. The president has said that it's necessary, and it could be necessary even if other factors are having an upward effect on housing prices as well.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: B
The conclusion of the argument is the following:
to make housing affordable for our citizens, we must find a way to reduce the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent
The support for the conclusion is the following:
Population growth in our country is causing a housing crisis because resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth are in short supply.
We see that the reasoning is basically that, since there aren't sufficient resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth, reducing the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent is necessary for making housing affordable.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the case for the president’s conclusion?
This is a Weaken question, and the correct answer will cast doubt on the conclusion.
Specifically, the correct answer will show that, even though the premise is true, reducing population growth by at least 30 percent may not be necessary for making housing affordable.
(A) If the country’s population were to stop growing, it would take several years for the supply of housing to become sufficient for the housing crisis to be solved.
The conclusion of the argument is not that reducing population growth will quickly solve the housing crisis. Rather, the conclusion is basically that reducing population growth is necessary for solving the housing crisis.
So, this choice does not cast doubt on the conclusion. After all, even if it would take several years for the crisis to be solved, reducing population growth may still be necessary for solving it.
Eliminate.
(B) Some studies have shown that, if the country’s rate of population growth were 20 percent lower, the rate of growth in the supply of housing might exceed the population growth rate.
This choice is interesting.
After all, if this choice is true, then it may not be true that reducing the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent is necessary for making housing affordable.
After all, if this choice is true, then what the studies have shown indicates that reducing the rate of population growth by 20 percent may be sufficient for making housing affordable.
In that case, while reducing the rate of population growth somewhat may be necessary, reducing it by "at least 30 percent" may not be.
So, this choice casts doubt on the conclusion.
Keep.
(C) When the housing crisis began, the country’s rate of population growth was lower than it is currently.
If anything, this choice in a way strengthens, rather than weakens, the argument.
After all, if population growth is causing the housing crisis and, when the crisis began, the country’s rate of population growth was lower than it is currently, then it seems likely that reducing population growth substantially, to below its level when the crisis began, is necessary for making housing affordable.
Eliminate.
(D) Even with a greater supply of resources, it may not be possible to create new housing fast enough to keep up with the country's population growth at its current rate.
If anything, this choice in a way strengthens, rather than weakens, the argument.
After all, if this choice is true, then we have some confirmation that reducing the rate of population growth is necessary for making housing affordable. After all, this choice indicates that, even if another factor involved in the crisis, limited supply of resources, is addressed, the crisis may continue.
Eliminate.
(E) There are factors other than population growth that are having an upward effect on housing prices in the country.
We have to be careful not to choose this choice just because it brings up other causes of high housing prices. A choice that brings up alternative causes may not be correct, and this choice is not the correct answer to this question.
After all, even if other factors are having an upward effect on housing prices, the president has stated as fact that population growth is causing a housing crisis because resources for creating housing at the rate necessary for keeping up with population growth are in short supply.
So, even if this choice is true, it could still be the case that finding a way to reduce the rate of population growth by at least 30 percent is necessary for making housing affordable.
In other words, the president hasn't said that reducing the rate of population growth is sufficient for making housing affordable. The president has said that it's necessary, and it could be necessary even if other factors are having an upward effect on housing prices as well.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: B
General Discussion
24 May 2025, 04:48
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After reading your explanation I understood why B is a weakener but I still could not understand why E is not a weakener.
If there are other factors causing high housing prices, reducing the rate of population alone may not fix the issue hence weakening the conclusion.
Please let me know if there are any gaps in my logic. Thanks in advance
If there are other factors causing high housing prices, reducing the rate of population alone may not fix the issue hence weakening the conclusion.
Please let me know if there are any gaps in my logic. Thanks in advance
MartyMurray
