PrepTest 143 - Section 2 - Passage 2 - Question 9

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The current approach to recusal and disqualification of judges heavily emphasizes appearance-based analysis. ████████████ █████ ██ ███████ ███ ██████ █████████ █████ ██ ███ █████████ ██ ████ ███████████ ███ ███ ██████████ ██ ████████████ ██████ ███ ████████ ██ ██████ ██████ ███████ ██████████ ████ ███ ████ ██ █████ █████ ████████████ █████ ██████████ ██ ███████████ ██ ████ ██████████████ ████████ █████ █ █████ ██ █ █████ ██████████ ██ ███████ ████████████████ ██ █ █████ ███ █████ ██ █████ ██████████████ ███ ██████████████ ███ ███████ █████ ████ ███ █████ ██████

Intro to Topic · Judicial recusal

Currently, judges recuse themselves based on appearance of impropriety. Even if there's no real conflict of interest, as long as there is the appearance of impropriety, then they are expected to recuse themselves.

Criticism · Recusal rules are too vague

Criticism · Focus on appearance of bias instead of actual bias is a mistake

Actual bias is what matters. Focusing on appearance of bias may distract from noticing actual bias.

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Proposed Solution · Transparent, written reasoning

If judge recuse, they should write out their reasons for recusing. If judge does not recuse, then write out their reasons for reaching their decision on the case.

Counterpoint · Written reason may be insincere

Real reason may be hidden.

Rebuttal · Doesn't matter

As long as impartial judges can read and agree with the explicit written reasoning, then whatever hidden real reasons don't matter.

Passage Style

Problem-analysis

Single position

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

Question Type

Purpose of paragraph

Structure

P2 presents the author’s critique of the current approach to recusal and disqualification. The author points out that they focus on the appearance of justice rather than on the actual bias that might affect a judge.

to state the ████████ ██████████ ██ ███ ████████ █████████ ██ ███ █████ █████████

This best captures the purpose. P1 describes the current approach to recusal and disqualification. P2 describes the author’s criticism of this approach.

83%

to present a ████████ ████ ██ ████████ ██ ███ █████ █████████

P2 doesn’t present a solution. It presents the author’s criticism of the current approach to recusal.

to provide concrete ████████ ██ ███ ████████ █████████ ██ ███ █████ █████████

P2 doesn’t present examples of problems discussed in the first paragraph. P2 presents the author’s criticism of the current approach to recusal described in P1.

to explore the ███████ ████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ █████████ ██ ███ █████ █████████

P2 doesn’t present history leading up to the current recusal approach. It presents the author’s criticism of the current approach to recusal.

to state the ██████ ██ ██ ████████ ██ ███ ████ ██ ███ ███████

The rest of the passage doesn’t defend the author’s position in P2. Rather, the rest of the passage explores a better alternative to the recusal approach described in P1. P2 presents the author’s criticism of the current recusal approach, but P3 and P4 move beyond that criticism toward the author’s own recommendation.

PrepTest 143 - Section 2 - Passage 2 - Question 9

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