A number of Indigenous politicians have been elected to the United States Congress since 2000 as members of the country's...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
A number of Indigenous politicians have been elected to the United States Congress since 2000 as members of the country's two established political parties. In Canada and several Latin American countries, on the other hand, Indigenous people have formed their own political parties to advance candidates who will advocate for the interests of their communities. This movement has been particularly successful in Ecuador, where Guadalupe Llori, a member of the Indigenous party known as Pachakutik, was elected president of the National Assembly in 2021.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To trace the history of an Indigenous political movement and speculate about its future development
To argue that Indigenous politicians in the United States should form their own political party
To highlight two approaches to achieving political representation for Indigenous people
To consider how Indigenous politicians in the United States have influenced Indigenous politicians in Canada and Latin America
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A number of Indigenous politicians have been elected to the United States Congress since 2000 as members of the country's two established political parties." |
|
| "In Canada and several Latin American countries, on the other hand, Indigenous people have formed their own political parties to advance candidates who will advocate for the interests of their communities." |
|
| "This movement has been particularly successful in Ecuador, where Guadalupe Llori, a member of the Indigenous party known as Pachakutik, was elected president of the National Assembly in 2021." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: There are two distinct approaches to achieving Indigenous political representation: joining established parties versus forming Indigenous-specific political parties.
Argument Flow: The passage presents the US model of Indigenous politicians working within existing party structures, then contrasts this with the approach taken in Canada and Latin America where Indigenous people create their own political parties, and finally provides Ecuador as a concrete example of this alternative approach succeeding.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures what the author is trying to accomplish
Any limiting keywords? "Main purpose" means we need the overarching goal, not just what one part does
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should capture the idea that the text is showing us two different ways Indigenous people can achieve political representation
- The text presents two different approaches, shows how these approaches work in different regions, and doesn't favor one over the other - just presents both as viable options
To trace the history of an Indigenous political movement and speculate about its future development
- Claims the text traces "history" and speculates about "future development" - but the passage only mentions one time point and gives no future predictions
To argue that Indigenous politicians in the United States should form their own political party
- Suggests the text makes an argument about what US politicians "should" do - but the passage is descriptive, not prescriptive
To highlight two approaches to achieving political representation for Indigenous people
- Accurately captures that the text presents two different "approaches" and "highlight" fits the descriptive, informational tone
To consider how Indigenous politicians in the United States have influenced Indigenous politicians in Canada and Latin America
- Claims the text discusses how US politicians "influenced" those in other countries - but there's no mention of influence or connection between the approaches