MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Question 59: Answer and Explanation

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Question: 59

7. Which of the following, if true, would most support the author's evaluation of the centrist position?

  • A. Different ideas of what constitutes fair representation are inextricably bound up with differing ideas about the proper role of the state within society.
  • B. Controversy about how to delineate electoral districts in order to ensure fair representation is often based on disagreements about population statistics.
  • C. The original writers of the Voting Rights Act did not believe that the implementation of the act would require debate on abstract questions of principle.
  • D. The conflicting claims set out by progressives and conservatives differ more in terms of vocabulary than on the basic ideas intended to be expressed through the rhetoric employed by each side.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

A This is a Strengthen question.

A: Yes. In paragraphs 7 and 8, the author critiques the centrist position in part by arguing that agreement on how to apply statute requires agreement on "background principles" about "how government ought to operate"(that is, the proper role of the state in society). He goes on to say that this means that because each camp has a different idea of what "fair representation" means, they disagree on abstract issues of principle regarding how to interpret "facts." The author, however, never directly states that, or explains how, the operation of government relates to fair representation. If the two are in fact fundamentally interrelated, it would support the author's critique of the centrists' claim that there is no fundamental disagreement on principles within the Voting Rights Act debate.

B: No. This would support the centrists themselves, by suggesting that at least some of the debate is about facts or empirical questions (here, statistics), rather than about matters of principle.

C: No. To the extent that the intent or belief of the writers of the act is relevant, this would go against the author's interpretation.

D: No. This would weaken the author's argument by supporting the centrist claim. This choice suggests that the disagreement between progressives and conservatives is not as stark as it may seem, and there is a fair amount of basic agreement on basic ideas.

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