Editorialist: News media rarely cover local politics thoroughly, and local political business is usually conducted secretively. These factors each tend to isolate local politicians from their electorates. This has the effect of reducing the chance that any particular act of resident participation will elicit a positive official response, which in turn discourages resident participation in local politics.
Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the editorialist's statements?
Particular acts of resident participation would be likely to elicit a positive response from local politicians if those politicians were less isolated from their electorate.
Local political business should be conducted less secretively because this would avoid discouraging resident participation in local politics.
The most important factor influencing a resident's decision as to whether to participate in local politics is the chance that the participation will elicit a positive official response.
More-frequent thorough coverage of local politics would reduce at least one source of discouragement from resident participation in local politics.
If resident participation in local politics were not discouraged, this would cause local politicians to be less isolated from their electorate.