Critical Reasoning — Assumptions Statement: “The economic condition of the country has gone from bad to worse.” Which assumptions are being made, if any?

Introduction / Context:
This statement reports deterioration in economic conditions. We must decide whether it assumes (I) government failure or (II) lack of public cooperation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• I: The government has failed to tackle economic problems.
• II: People are not cooperating with the government.

Concept / Approach:
Descriptive claims about outcomes do not necessarily assign causes. Unless the statement attributes blame, causal assumptions are not required.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) “Bad to worse” may result from many factors: global shocks, commodity prices, disasters, policy lags, or geopolitical risks.2) The statement does not say why deterioration occurred—only that it did. Therefore, neither I nor II must be true.3) Negation test: if the government did not fail (contrary to I), the statement about worsening could still hold due to exogenous causes. If people cooperated (contrary to II), conditions could still worsen.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider independent economic indicators (inflation, unemployment, GDP growth). They can worsen without implying any specific behavioral fault.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Only I, only II, both, or either: These add causal attributions absent from the statement.

Common Pitfalls:
Avoid the “causal reading” trap—do not infer blame where none is stated.

Final Answer:
Neither I nor II is implicit