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Question

Difficulty: MediumDetermining Statement Roles

Urban planner: The city council's proposal to reduce downtown congestion by significantly increasing public parking fees is destined to fail. While it is true that higher fees will deter some suburban commuters from driving, the vast majority of downtown traffic is composed of commercial delivery trucks and rideshare vehicles. Since these commercial vehicles do not utilize long-term public parking, their circulation patterns will be completely unaffected by the fee increase. Thus, the overall volume of traffic will not decrease.

The claim that their circulation patterns will be completely unaffected by the fee increase plays which one of the following roles in the urban planner's argument?

  1. It is a subsidiary conclusion that is drawn from a claim about the behavior of commercial vehicles, and it in turn supports the main conclusion of the argument.Answer
  2. B
    It is the main conclusion of the argument, which is supported by the subsequent claim that the overall volume of traffic will not decrease.
  3. C
    It is a basic premise for which no justification is provided, offered to demonstrate that the overall volume of traffic will remain unchanged.
  4. D
    It is a concession to proponents of the fee increase, acknowledging a factor that could potentially reduce downtown congestion.
  5. E
    It provides contextual background information intended to clarify the scope of the city council's proposal.

Answer

The correct answer identifies the statement as a subsidiary (or intermediate) conclusion that is derived from a preceding premise and is used to support the argument's final conclusion.
The correct option perfectly captures the dual nature of an intermediate conclusion: it is a conclusion because it is inferred from evidence (the lack of use of long-term parking by commercial vehicles), and it is intermediate because it is then used as evidence to support the final claim (that traffic volume will not decrease).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main conclusion of the argument.
The main conclusion is that the city council's proposal is destined to fail because the overall volume of traffic will not decrease.
Understanding the ultimate goal of the argument is essential to determining the roles of its component parts.
2
Locate the targeted statement and analyze its immediate context.
The statement 'their circulation patterns will be completely unaffected by the fee increase' is preceded by the word 'Since' and the premise that commercial vehicles do not utilize long-term parking.
This shows whether the statement is offered without evidence or if it is supported by other claims.
3
Determine the logical relationship between the targeted statement and the main conclusion.
The targeted statement provides the direct logical justification for the final claim that the overall volume of traffic will not decrease.
Because the statement is both supported by a premise AND acts as support for the main conclusion, it must be classified as a subsidiary (intermediate) conclusion.

Key Concept

Identifying Intermediate Conclusions
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Topics

Determining Statement Roles

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