MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Question 55: Answer and Explanation

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Question: 55

3. Suppose it were shown that progressives believe fair representation of a minority group can only by achieved through electing representatives who are members of that group, while conservatives believe that minority interests are well protected by any representative who works for the good of society as a whole. If this is true, which claim described in the passage would be most undermined?

  • A. The author's claim that background principles determine how facts are interpreted
  • B. The conservative claim that the Voting Rights Act should be rolled back
  • C. The centrist claim that application of the Voting Rights Act need not consider big abstract questions
  • D. The progressive claim that politics is dominated by white racism

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C This is a New Information question.

Note: The new information suggests a disagreement about what constitutes fair representation. This, if valid, would undermine the centrist claim that "Big questions such as 'What is fair minority representation?' never need to be asked because judges and other federal officials are simply correcting what is obviously wrong given the specific facts at hand" (paragraph 4). And, by undermining the centrists, it strengthens the author's critique of the centrist position.

A: No. This new information would strengthen rather than weaken the author's position.

B: No. This new information has no impact on the conservative position. The fact that there are different conceptions of fair representation does not by itself suggest that the act is something that should be maintained or extended rather than rolled back.

C: Yes. The centrist claim that abstract questions do not need to be considered rests in part on their belief that most people agree on basic principles, and that there can be wide agreement on what is "obviously wrong given the specific facts at hand" (paragraph 4). If there is in fact disagreement on what constitutes fair representation, this would weaken or undermine the centrist position. Note that the author states in paragraph 8 that "Each of these camps anchors its claims in different conceptions of fair representation, which serve as guides for how the Voting Rights Act's promise of equal political opportunity ought to be realized." This suggests that the very different ways of conceiving of "fair representation" described in the question stem would qualify as different ends or principles, not just different means.

D: No. The new information gives no evidence one way or the other about the existence or role of white racism in the political process.

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