Cause & Effect — Identify the Relationship: I. The police set up several road check-posts and enhanced night patrolling. II. The police arrested and convicted several burglars during the last month. Which option best captures the causal link between I and II?
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AIf statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect
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BIf statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect
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CIf both statements I and II are independent causes
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DIf both statements I and II are effects of independent causes
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EIf I and II are unrelated facts
Answer
Correct Answer: If statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect
Explanation
Introduction / Context:We compare police preventive measures with crime control outcomes. The question is whether proactive policing led to arrests/convictions.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- I: More checkpoints and night patrols were instituted.
- II: Several burglars were arrested and convicted in the last month.
- Assume operational effectiveness: visibility checks deter/interrupt crimes and aid apprehension.
Concept / Approach:Enhanced enforcement commonly leads to higher detection and arrests, which in turn enable prosecutions and convictions. Thus I→II is the natural causal chain.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Patrols/check-posts increase interception chances and evidence gathering.2) Better evidence and arrests facilitate convictions.3) Therefore, I is a cause that plausibly produced II.Verification / Alternative check:Could II→I? Sometimes, a spike in crimes prompts measures; however, the stem explicitly couples measures with recent arrests/convictions, and the cleaner reading is measures aiding outcomes.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:Independence (c/d) ignores the policing → results pipeline; unrelated (e) is implausible.
Common Pitfalls:Confusing “trigger for measures” with “effect of measures.” Even if crimes triggered I, the arrests are still an effect of I.
Final Answer:Option A: Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect.