Critical reasoning — identify implicit assumptions Statement: “Bill Clinton is the second Democrat to be re-elected as President of the United States, the other being the legendary Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Assumptions to evaluate: I. Clinton has the same qualities as Roosevelt. II. A majority of Americans have faith in Clinton. III. The election campaign of Clinton’s rivals was not impressive.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Only II is implicit

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The sentence highlights a rare achievement: re-election of a Democratic President, comparing Bill Clinton with F.D. Roosevelt. We must infer what must be true for this statement to be reasonable, independent of praise or comparisons.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Fact: Clinton was re-elected President.
  • I: Clinton shares the same qualities as Roosevelt.
  • II: A majority of the electorate placed sufficient trust (faith) in Clinton to re-elect him.
  • III: The rival campaigns were unimpressive.


Concept / Approach:
Re-election requires political support strong enough to secure victory. That support is typically rephrased as “majority faith” in a democratic process. Comparisons of personal qualities (I) and judgments about opponents (III) are neither necessary nor implied by the statement.



Step-by-Step Solution:

II is necessary: electoral victory implies that enough voters supported Clinton to achieve re-election—an indicator of public confidence.I is not necessary: mentioning Roosevelt provides historical context, not a claim of identical qualities.III is not necessary: opponents may have run impressive campaigns; Clinton could still win due to incumbency, policy approval, or other factors.


Verification / Alternative check:
Even if rivals campaigned effectively, re-election still means the winner commanded sufficient votes, reinforcing II alone.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • I or III (alone or either/or) are extraneous to the fact of re-election.


Common Pitfalls:
Overreading analogies as equivalence; assuming victory must imply opponents’ weakness.



Final Answer:
Only II is implicit

More Questions from Statement and Assumption

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion