Instruction: Identify the assumptions that must hold for the statement to be valid, then choose the correct option.
Statement: The city council has decided to introduce higher taxes on private vehicles to reduce increasing traffic congestion.
Assumptions:
I. Private vehicles are a major cause of traffic congestion.
II. Increasing taxes on private vehicles will discourage their use.
III. Traffic congestion is mainly caused by personal transportation choices.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Only I and II are implicit.
Assumptions:
I. Implicit (If private vehicles were not a major cause of congestion, taxing them would not help reduce it.)
II. Implicit (The policy assumes that higher taxes will lead people to use private vehicles less, which would reduce congestion.)
III. Not implicit (The statement focuses only on private vehicles, not all personal transport choices, so this assumption goes beyond what’s needed.)