The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform

In option E if we negate it says none of social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to nation's existence. In spite of weakening it is strengthening the conclusion. SO how the answer is correct .

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.

Background: The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform services to correct various current social ills, especially those in education and housing
Premise: Government service should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation's existence
Conclusion: the proposed program should not be implemented

The Government portion is not an opinion, but fact. The premise and conclusion are opinion. I do not know how else to break this down. The argument hinges on what the Government has said and the counter-argument by the author.

I understand your confusion and I agree with it. The question stem should instead say "Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?"
But the problem is that the govt is not assuming anything. It has just proposed a plan.
We are not given this as a fact: "Government service is compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation’s existence."
It is given as the author's opinion: "Government service, however, should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation’s existence."
On this opinion, he based his call for action (or inaction): Do not implement the proposal.

So the assumption is made by the author only (that current issues in housing etc. are not a direct threat to the nation’s existence), not by the government.

There is no govt's assumption that the argument conveys. Hence option (C) cannot be correct.

Then the question likely means to ask about the argument's assumption. In any case, you will likely not see any such issues in the actual test.

Can anyone explain why not C, because they are asking from government’s perspective n not the author’s


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somya29verma, (C) cannot be the answer because it doesn't destroy our conclusion if we negate it. For assumption questions, you negate the answers. If the answer then destroys the conclusion, you have your answer.

(C): Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
Negation: Crises in education and housing DO NOT constitute a threat to the nation's existence

-- Using this, and our conclusion being that you should not act unless it is a threat, this strengthens our conclusion and thus cannot be the correct answer.



HAPPYatHARVARD, (B) cannot be our answer for reason above: The negation of the answer doesn't work.

(B): The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
Negation: The nation's existence is NOT directly threatened only in times of foreign attack

-- OK, so how does this weaken the conclusion that social ills should be funded only if they are a national threat? There is no connection and it is completely out of scope for this question. We are told that we are threatened even not during times of foreign attack. But does that include social ills? We have no idea.


Let me know if you have any further questions.

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)

Hi VeritasKarishma nightblade354

I too marked E, but after reading few comments above when I reread the question stem I am a bit confused now.

The question stem states that -

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends?

Now I think option 'E' is an assumption for the author's conclusion but how can we say that it's also the assumption for government ?

Shouldn't stating government in the question impact the answer, as there's nothing given in the argument which might point us to the assumption taken by the government when coming up with it's plan.

Can you please help.


Thanks
Saurabh

Posted from my mobile device

The second sentence is a principle that must be treated as a premise in this line of reasoning. The question is, if you accept this premise as valid, is it logical to conclude that the proposed program should not be implemented? Only if you accept the underlining assumption that the current social ills do not directly threaten the nation's existence

conclusion---- the proposal program should not be implemented.
why? because social ills, especially those in education and housing doesnt pose a threat to national existence.
between e and d
rejected d because young people believes that
if we negate e conclusion---- weaken
hence e
correct me if my reasoning is wrong.

manjot123, you are correct!

viv007, your negation is correct. So it is saying that none do not........which means that all do. Being this is the case, this destroys our conclusion and does not support it. Keep in the mind the program is saying we should NOT implement, so we want something that says we should. And (E) does just that.

why not B. can someone explain pls

Hi,
Here we need something that bridge the gap between premise and conclusion and makes the conclusion more stable,
C weakens the conclusion by saying just opposite..

Posted from my mobile device

nightblade354
thanks for responding.
(B): The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
Negation: The nation's existence is directly threatened NOT only in times of foreign attack

That means other reasons might threaten it too..
So, it is not out of scope. correct me please, if i am wrong.
Thanks

By "Out of Scope", I mean irrelevant. It is either too far beyond what we want or it has nothing to do with conclusion. In this case, I would argue because it is not connected to social ills that it is the latter. But to each their own on this matter. Just know that it cannot be correct because of negation

- 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, Rephrasing to make it simpler to understand
Such kind of service should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation's existence.
- Conclusion: For that reason, the proposed program should not be implemented.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends?
Answer should be something in the line that says that these service are not required since it does not risk the nation's existence.

(A) Government-required service by young people cannot correct all social ills
Success of these plans is not mentioned in the argument.

(B) The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
What is the relation to services like housing and education especially if there is a war (Nothing mentioned in passage to prove this)

(C) Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
Then in such a case the program MUST be implemented, but the conclusion is saying to not implement- that means education and housing is NOT a threat according to the argument.

(D) The nation's young people believe that current social ills pose no direct threat to the nation's existence
Young people's beliefs is not mentioned in this passage, nor any indication of this. Just like A success of these plans are not mentioned in the passage.

(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence.
If some of these social ills are not posing a direct threat, then it need not be implemented, hence this supports the conclusion.

The government isn't assuming anything. The statement is a view of the author of the question. The author is saying if social ills are a threat -- government must act on it. If not, then do not act on it.
I think you are overthinking this/reading too much into it. This is an opinion given by an author who is arguing something.

Does this help?