A recent biography examines Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, arguing that his diplomatic methods revealed an underlying conviction of American superio...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
A recent biography examines Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, arguing that his diplomatic methods revealed an underlying conviction of American superiority over other world powers.
Which quotation from the biography most effectively illustrates the claim?
"Roosevelt maintained extensive diplomatic correspondence with European leaders throughout his two terms in office."
"He proclaimed that America must assert its rightful position as the supreme civilizing force among all nations of the earth."
"The President's international initiatives required careful coordination with congressional foreign policy committees."
"Roosevelt's approach to global affairs often surprised both domestic critics and international observers."
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A recent biography examines Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, arguing that his diplomatic methods revealed an underlying conviction of American superiority over other world powers." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A biography argues that Roosevelt's diplomatic methods demonstrated his belief in American superiority over other nations.
Argument Flow: This single sentence presents the core thesis of a biographical study that Roosevelt's approach to international relations reflected an underlying conviction that America was superior to other world powers.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct quote should directly show Roosevelt expressing or demonstrating a belief that America is superior to other world powers
- Since the claim specifically mentions "diplomatic methods," we'd expect to see this superiority conviction reflected in how he approached international relations or foreign policy
- The quote might show him explicitly stating America's superior position, or describing America's role in ways that reveal this underlying belief
"Roosevelt maintained extensive diplomatic correspondence with European leaders throughout his two terms in office."
✗ Incorrect
- Simply states Roosevelt maintained diplomatic correspondence with European leaders
- Shows he was diplomatically active but reveals nothing about superiority beliefs
- Could describe any president's normal diplomatic activities
"He proclaimed that America must assert its rightful position as the supreme civilizing force among all nations of the earth."
✓ Correct
- Directly shows Roosevelt proclaiming America as the "supreme civilizing force among all nations"
- Perfectly matches the claim about "conviction of American superiority over other world powers"
- The word "supreme" explicitly positions America above all other nations
- This proclamation represents exactly the kind of diplomatic method that would reveal his underlying beliefs
"The President's international initiatives required careful coordination with congressional foreign policy committees."
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on domestic coordination processes with Congress
- About bureaucratic procedure, not beliefs about American superiority
- Shows nothing about Roosevelt's view of America relative to other world powers
"Roosevelt's approach to global affairs often surprised both domestic critics and international observers."
✗ Incorrect
- Only mentions that his approach "surprised" people
- Being surprising doesn't indicate superiority beliefs
- Students might think "surprising" suggests something significant, but surprising approaches don't necessarily reveal superiority convictions