Statement–Assumption — A newly appointed Prime Minister says: “If you ask me about the daunting challenges we face, my government’s first priority is to improve the existing law-and-order situation. Next comes the issue of commodity prices.” Assumptions: I. If citizens can sleep peacefully (law and order), they can then focus on feeding their families, education, and moving freely. II. Prices of essential commodities significantly affect the common person.
Correct Answer: if both I and II is implicit.
Introduction / Context:The speaker sequences priorities: stabilizing law and order before tackling price-level concerns. We must uncover the hidden premises that make this ordering rational and persuasive.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Primary priority cited: improve law and order.
- Secondary priority: address commodity prices.
- Audience: citizens who care about safety and affordability.
Concept / Approach:In Statement–Assumption items, an assumption is a necessary belief that must hold for the statement to make sense. The PM’s ordering presupposes (I) security is foundational: without physical safety and social order, other life projects (earning, feeding families, education, mobility) are impaired. The ordering also presupposes (II) prices materially affect the public; otherwise ranking “prices” second would be arbitrary and politically tone-deaf.
Step-by-Step Solution:1) Test I: If safety were not considered prerequisite, putting law and order first would be hard to justify. Hence I is necessary.2) Test II: If prices did not heavily impact citizens, elevating them to second priority would lack rationale. Hence II is necessary.
Verification / Alternative check:Public-policy frameworks often treat “security” as a basic need and “affordability/inflation” as the next-order macro concern. The ordering mirrors Maslow-like tiers in governance.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:“Only I” neglects the salience of prices; “Only II” ignores security’s primacy; “Either” is insufficient; “Neither” conflicts with the explicit prioritization.
Common Pitfalls:Confusing political rhetoric with mere opinion; here, explicit ordering signals value and dependency assumptions.
Final Answer:if both I and II is implicit.