Zack: Those who are in student government became involved precisely because they are outspoken in the first place. Encouraging others to become involved will do nothing to make them more outspoken.
A
students should be more outspoken
B
students should be encouraged to become involved in student government
C
becoming involved in student government makes students more outspoken
D
all students who are involved in student government are outspoken
E
students will not become more outspoken unless they become involved in student government
Government official: Residents who are foreign citizens can serve as public servants at most levels, but not as cabinet secretaries. This is wise, since cabinet secretaries perform some duties that should be performed only by citizens, and no one should be appointed to a position if it involves duties that person should not perform. Moreover, a cabinet undersecretary is expected to serve as cabinet secretary when the actual secretary is unavailable. So, _______.
Summary
The stimulus sets forth several rules.
Foreign citizens cannot serve as cabinet secretaries. This is justified because cabinet secretaries need to do things that only domestic citizens can do (and foreign citizens can’t do).
No one should be appointed to a position that involves duties a person can’t perform.
In addition, a cabinet undersecretary is expected to serve as cabinet secretary when the actual cabinet secretary is unavailable.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Since cabinet undersecretaries are expected to serve as cabinet secretaries at some times, and foreign citizens can’t serve as cabinet secretaries, this strongly suggests foreign citizens shouldn’t serve as cabinet undersecretaries.
A
foreign citizens who serve as public servants should be granted citizenship in the country they serve
Unsupported. Nothing in the stimulus concerns conditions for granting citizenship. We know that non-citizens shouldn’t serve in certain positions. That doesn’t imply we should ever make them citizens.
B
foreign citizens should not be appointed as cabinet undersecretaries
Strongly supported. Foreign citizens can’t serve as cabinet secretaries, so they shouldn’t serve as undersecretaries, who would be expected to occasionally step in as cabinet secretaries. No one should be appointed to a position whose duties they can’t fulfill.
C
only former cabinet undersecretaries should be appointed as cabinet secretaries
Unsupported. We know foreign citizens shouldn’t be cabinet secretaries. But nothing excludes non-former-undersecretaries from serving as cabinet secretaries.
D
foreign citizens should be eligible to serve as cabinet secretaries
Unsupported. The author doesn’t provide reasons to change the current restrictions on service. The stimulus simply describes the rules, and we are supposed to apply them. Not advocate for a change.
E
cabinet undersecretaries should not be expected to stand in for cabinet secretaries
Unsupported. We’re not given reasons that undersecretaries shouldn’t step in for the secretaries. We’re given reasons a foreign citizen should not serve as an undersecretary or secretary. The stimulus doesn’t give us enough to infer that rules should be changed.