PrepTest 103 - Section 4 - Passage 1 - Question 1

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Opponents of compulsory national service claim that such a program is not in keeping with the liberal principles upon which Western democracies are founded. ███

Other people's (OP) perspective · Compulsory national service goes against liberal principles

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Analogy for OP's perspective · Income tax is undemocratic because it violates property rights

Critique of OP's perspective · Context of community is basis of individual rights

Community requires shared sacrifice.

Application of community context to taxes · Taxes justified for protection of society

Without taxes, there's no law enforcement, which would deprive society of communal benefit.

Application of community context to national service · Compulsory service justified for protection of society

Responsibility to defend one's nation against outside enemies is just as important as responsibility to pay taxes to support law enforcement.

Potential rebuttal by OP · Taxes and national service are not analogous

Coercion isn't required to get people to join the army, but is required to get people to pay taxes. And, proponents of national service extend compulsory duties to things beyond defending the nation.

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Response to potential rebuttal · OP admits that state can demand service when needed

The issue becomes the scope of the "need." Everyone agrees that taxes are appropriate for things besides national defense. So where's the line between what activities are beneficial enough for compulsory service and what's not?

Support for compulsory national service · Broad conception of "need" is justified

Passage Style

Critique or debate

Which one of the following ████ ██████████ █████████ ███ ████████ ████████ ██████ ███ ████████████ ███████ ███████████ ███ ██████████ ██████ ██ █ ██████████

Question Type

Author’s attitude

Implied

We know that opponents of compulsory national service believe that it goes against liberal principles and violates citizens’ individual rights. The author, meanwhile, notes here that this view fails to consider the context of community, which is the basis of individual rights in a democracy and which requires shared sacrifice.

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Unsupported. The author never suggests that individual rights are the most important safeguards of personal freedom. Instead, he argues that individual rights are found in the context of community and “the social agreement that undergirds our liberties.” This context requires shared sacrifice.

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Unsupported. The author refutes this argument, which suggests that compulsory national service can be an “unwarranted government intrusion.” He never argues that individual rights protect citizens from government intrusion. Instead, he says that they exist in the context of community, which requires shared sacrifice.

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Unsupported— too strong. In P1, the author argues that individual rights exist in community, which requires shared sacrifice. Because of citizens’ responsibility to protect the community and defend the nation, he suggests that individual rights don’t excuse citizens from service. But he doesn’t go so far as to claim that many citizens use their rights to take advantage of others.

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Unsupported. The author refutes this argument, which claims that compulsory national service does amount to “government interference.” He never argues that individual rights are citizens’ only defense against government interference. Instead, he says that they exist in the context of community, which requires shared sacrifice.

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Supported. In P1, the author says some people think compulsory national service violates individual rights. He expresses dissatisfaction with this view, arguing that individual rights exist in community, which requires shared sacrifice. Citizens have a responsibility to protect the community, and the government can require national service when it's necessary for the good of society.

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PrepTest 103 - Section 4 - Passage 1 - Question 1

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