- is government service and government requiring people to perform services the same thing?
nightblade354 wrote:
The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform services to correct various current social ills, especially those in education and housing. Government service, however, should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation's existence. For that reason, the proposed program should not be implemented.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends?
(A) Government-required service by young people cannot correct all social ills
(B) The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
(C) Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
(D) The nation's young people believe that current social ills pose no direct threat to the nation's existence
(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence
Govt plan - require young people to perform social service esp in education and housing
Govt service should be compelled only in response to threat to nation's existence
Conclusion: The proposed program should not be implemented.
There is a gap in the logic. The author is assuming that problems in education and housing are not threat to a nation's existence
(A) Government-required service by young people cannot correct all social ills
He does not assume that required social service CANNOT correct all ills. He says that it SHOULD not be used for all
(B) The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
No. The argument does not assume that only foreign attack constitutes threat to nation's existence.
(C) Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
The assumption is opposite - that they are not a threat.
(D) The nation's young people believe that current social ills pose no direct threat to the nation's existence
We need the assumption of the author. He assumes nothing about what young people believe in.
(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence
Yes, he does assume this. He assumes education and housing issues - some of the current ills - do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence.
Answer (E)