Bridging Gap (Supporter) Assumptions

Sociologist: A functioning democracy requires its electorate to have access to impartial political reporting. Over the last decade, however, the media landscape has been entirely consolidated by three massive entertainment conglomerates. Because these conglomerates are legally bound to prioritize maximizing their quarterly profits above all other objectives, the fundamental prerequisites for a functioning democracy are presently being undermined.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the sociologist's argument depends?

Match each logical argument on the left with the necessary supporter assumption on the right that correctly bridges the gap between its premise and its conclusion.

Transportation Planner: Any infrastructure project that expands highway capacity inevitably encourages urban sprawl. The newly approved North Corridor expansion will add two additional lanes to the existing highway. Therefore, the North Corridor expansion will undoubtedly result in increased carbon emissions for the region.

Which of the following are assumptions upon which the transportation planner's argument depends? Select all that apply.

Philosopher: An individual can be held morally blameworthy for an outcome only if the actions leading to that outcome were the product of conscious deliberation. Neurological studies demonstrate that the physical movements involved in routine driving are initiated by the brain milliseconds before the driver becomes consciously aware of the intention to perform them. Therefore, drivers cannot be held morally blameworthy for traffic accidents caused by their physical movements during routine driving.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the philosopher's argument depends?

Match each logical stimulus argument (left) with the specific supporter assumption (right) required to bridge the logical gap between its premise and conclusion.

City Engineer: The newly implemented smart-grid electrical system dynamically routes power based on neighborhood-level real-time consumption data. By doing so, the system effectively minimizes the occurrence of localized power surges during peak usage hours. Therefore, the implementation of this smart-grid system will undoubtedly extend the average lifespan of household appliances across the city.

The city engineer's argument relies on assuming which one of the following?

Nutritional Biochemist: The recently synthesized compound 'Z-Sweet' binds perfectly to the tongue's sweet-taste receptors but is entirely indigestible by human metabolic enzymes. Furthermore, longitudinal studies confirm that ingesting Z-Sweet fails to trigger the release of pancreatic insulin. Consequently, substituting dietary sugar with Z-Sweet will guarantee a reduction in overall body adiposity while permanently eliminating neurochemical sugar addiction.

Based on the biochemist's reasoning, which of the following statements act as required supporter assumptions that logically bridge gaps in the argument? Select all that apply.

Art conservator: Traditional chemical solvents used to clean Renaissance oil paintings often seep through the protective varnish and interact directly with the underlying paint pigments. A new cleaning technique, thermal plasma descaling, exclusively removes the outer layer of grime without penetrating the varnish at all. Thus, museums can be assured that employing thermal plasma descaling will never alter the original color balance of these Renaissance paintings.

The art conservator's argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?

Sociologist: Only societies that possess a formalized system of property rights are capable of developing a complex market economy. Nomadic cultures inherently lack a formalized system of property rights, as their traditional lifestyle prevents them from claiming permanent ownership of specific land tracts. Therefore, it is impossible for nomadic cultures to cultivate highly specialized artisan classes.

The sociologist's argument relies on assuming which one of the following?

Historian: Any society that maintains a standing professional army must divert a substantial portion of its agricultural surplus to the state. However, diverting a substantial portion of agricultural surplus to the state inevitably suppresses the development of an independent merchant class. Therefore, if an ancient society featured a flourishing independent merchant class, it must not have possessed heavily fortified urban centers.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the historian's argument depends?