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ChiranjeevSingh
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 04 Jan 2020, 01:30
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KaranB1
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Is option D not hurting the premise of the argument which says "prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government’s huge budget deficit".
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Yes. Option D does weaken this premise. However, premises can be challenged as long as they can be interpreted as claims. Whatever is presented as a fact cannot be challenged. In general, all causalities can be challenged because causalities are not facts that we observe but are judgments of people who interpret facts.
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 04 Jan 2020, 04:00
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thanks CJ. I love your explanations.
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 05 Jan 2020, 22:47
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KaranB1
VeritasKarishma GMATNinja ChiranjeevSingh

Is option D not hurting the premise of the argument which says "prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government’s huge budget deficit".
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No it isn't. Option (D) is talking about what happened in the past. The argument tells us what happened this time. The given prediction-dollar-deficit relation may have been accurate this time. There is no conflict.
But because in the past without deficit, predictions caused decline in value, it leads us to believe that the same could happen again in the future.
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 06 Feb 2020, 06:37
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GMATNinja

Thanks rebecca501! That's exactly right... the author says that the prediction of economic growth "would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government’s huge budget deficit". Choice (D) tells us that such predictions actually HAVE adversely affected the dollar, even when there was no huge budget deficit. So (D) directly weakens the argument.

As for (B), the author does not claim that the budget deficit caused the slowdown in economic growth. Instead, the author claims that both 1) a prediction of an economic slowdown and 2) a huge budget deficit will, together, adversely affect the dollar. Choice (B) does not impact that reasoning, so (D) is the best option.
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Dear GMATNinja and other experts, MartyTargetTestPrep.GMATNinjaTwoTwo,generi.
I did not understand
Quote:
Instead, the author claims that both 1) a prediction of an economic slowdown and 2) a huge budget deficit will, together, adversely affect the dollar.
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,

IMO,
Quote:
The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a prediction of slower economic growth in the coming year.
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this sentence tells me a causal relationship that prediction of slower economic growth caused the decline in value of dollar.

Quote:
But that prediction would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government’s huge budget deficit,
Show more
the author argues that no huge budget deficit, no the adverse impact of the prediction.but the budget deficit did happened and it did caused the prediction

so I think the logic is that the budget deficit caused the prediction , and then the prediction caused the declines in the currency.
it's like the single lane that allows one direction for drivers.

I am a bit confused that
Quote:
Instead, the author claims that both 1) a prediction of an economic slowdown and 2) a huge budget deficit will, together, adversely affect the dollar.
Show more
,especial the "together".

actually I picked up C because I read it as the the declines in currency happened before the budget deficit, suggesting other cause that before budget deficit. I know I missed the choice C and I do not intend to create my own choices on gmat questions, I just want your confirm whether my reasoning is correct.

thanks in advance.

Quote:
D)Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value.
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the argument focus on the causal relationship between budget deficit and declines in currency.
D here, prediction caused declines . do you think it restates the premise in the argument because the declines was triggered by prediction.


have a nice day.
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 20 Feb 2021, 14:19
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Prediction of slower economic growth- - -> Decline in currency value
No huge budget deficit -- - -- > No decline in currency

Conclusion: Decrease Budget deficit

How to weaken?
In short:
X leads to Y
If No Z then no Y
== > means X will be active if Z is there
X= prediction of slower economic growth
Z= huge budget deficit
Y= decline in the value of the dollar


Weaken:
i. X can be active even if Z not there
Or
ii. X can not be active even if Z is there
Or
iii. X and Z doesn’t lead to Y


Quote:
(A) The government has made little attempt to reduce the budget deficit.
Show more
Irrelevant: Government make little attempt or more attempt, we don’t know what would be the outcome.

Quote:
(B) The budget deficit has not caused a slowdown in economic growth.
Show more
Z has not caused X

But we are looking for end result of Y
We don’t care whether Z leads to X or X is lead by other factors . What we care is end result of Y by X if Z is there.
Close option but incorrect


Quote:
(C) The value of the dollar declined several times in the year prior to the recent prediction of slower economic growth.
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Y happened before X
Reject:
i. we don’t relation with Z .(We don’t know whether decrease in budget deficient would prevent future decline in currency. No information is given about it)
ii. Maybe Y has more effect after X happens( Maybe further decline in currency after prediction happens )


Quote:
(D) Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value
Show more

Before Z, X leads to Y.
It means whether even Z is not there, X can lead to Y.
Matches with our i. prethinking .

Quote:
(E) When there is a large budget deficit, other events in addition to predictions of slower economic growth sometimes trigger declines in currency value.
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Ok , Now we bring a new addition factor. Other events + Prediction -- > decline in currency.
If Z --- > X+ X” --- > Y
Still Strengthens claim that still it is because of budget deficit it causes future decline in currency.
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 20 Feb 2021, 14:30
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zoezhuyan
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Thanks rebecca501! That's exactly right... the author says that the prediction of economic growth "would not have adversely affected the dollar had it not been for the government’s huge budget deficit". Choice (D) tells us that such predictions actually HAVE adversely affected the dollar, even when there was no huge budget deficit. So (D) directly weakens the argument.



Quote:
D)Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value.
the argument focus on the causal relationship between budget deficit and declines in currency.
D here, prediction caused declines . do you think it restates the premise in the argument because the declines was triggered by prediction.


have a nice day.



Quote:

Quote:
D)Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value.
the argument focus on the causal relationship between budget deficit and declines in currency.
D here, prediction caused declines . do you think it restates the premise in the argument because the declines was triggered by prediction.
Show more

What you read:
Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value.
or they could have written: Before when there was large budget deficit , predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value
What is given:
Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value.
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 01 Apr 2021, 20:34
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This is a causal argument.

Cause: Budget deficit > Intermediate cause: Predictions about slower economic growth > Effect: decline in the value of currency.

D says that even if we were to get rid of the distal cause (budget deficit), the effect remains intact, thereby weakening the conclusion that such deficits are responsible for the decline in the currency.
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 07 May 2021, 21:52
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(D) is the most suitable option

Quote:

(A) The government has made little attempt to reduce the budget deficit.
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This does not tell us anything about the relation among budget deficit, dollar value and predictions

Quote:
(B) The budget deficit has not caused a slowdown in economic growth.
Show more

According to the question, the decline in dollar value was due to the prediction of a slower economic growth. But this decline would have not happened if the deficit were lower. So we are not really sure whether economic growth actually slowed down. So relation between the budget deficit and economic slowdown is irrelevant

Quote:
(C) The value of the dollar declined several times in the year prior to the recent prediction of slower economic growth.
Show more

Ok. So, besides the prediction, at least one other factor can also influence the dollar value. What is it? We are not sure

Quote:
(D) Before there was a large budget deficit, predictions of slower economic growth frequently caused declines in the dollar’s value.
Show more

So when budget deficits were not large, predictions of slower economic growth have caused declines in the dollar's value more than one time. This does help us understand that lower budget deficits may not shield the dollar's value against the predictions of economic slowdown. Good to keep it for now

Quote:
(E) When there is a large budget deficit, other events in addition to predictions of slower economic growth sometimes trigger declines in currency value.
Show more

This may sound attractive, as it indirectly states that budget deficit leads to decline in the currency value. However, this is not what we are looking for. The conclusion in the question stem states that lower budget deficit shields the dollar's value from the ill effects of the prediction of economic slowdown. So, even if large budget deficit result in decline in dollar's value, (E) does not confirm that reducing the deficit would nullify the effect of the prediction of economic slowdown on the dollar value


Please point out the errors, logical, grammatical and others, in my explanation. That would help me :)
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 08 May 2021, 05:10
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CONCLUSION - Large budget deficit should be reduced to prevent future currency decline

GIVEN -

1) Recent decline in the currency was due to prediction of less economic growth
2) It would not have impacted much if it would not have been for govt's huge budget deficit

WEAKNER - What new information would reduce the belief in the conclusion?

ANSWER CHOICE ANALYSIS -

A) Attempt made by govt doesn't impact the conclusion
B) Budget deficit as a whole is not talked, the large budget deficit is being talked about
C) Past data
D) CORRECT - Before the large budget deficit, slow economic growth was the reason
E) other events not talked about in the passage
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The recent decline in the value of the dollar was triggered by a predi 30 Oct 2024, 06:03
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