Economic analyses typically demonstrate that regions with higher education spending show stronger job market performance, indicating that educational ...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Economic analyses typically demonstrate that regions with higher education spending show stronger job market performance, indicating that educational investment drives employment outcomes. However, when policy researchers Jennifer Walsh and Michael Torres examined employment data from several rural counties with comparable education budgets, they discovered that job market strength varied significantly despite similar spending levels, though they did not dismiss education funding as irrelevant to employment. Instead, they suggested that economic development in these counties may have been sufficiently infrastructure-dependent to override the expected education-employment relationship.
Which evidence about the counties in the study would most strongly support Walsh and Torres' explanation?
The counties have implemented different approaches to education spending, with some focusing on K-12 programs while others prioritize community college funding.
The counties have similar demographic characteristics and population densities, making direct comparison of their education policies meaningful.
The counties with stronger job markets are located near major highways and have superior broadband internet access compared to those with weaker employment.
The counties have all received additional federal education funding that was not included in the researchers' initial spending calculations.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Economic analyses typically demonstrate that regions with higher education spending show stronger job market performance, indicating that educational investment drives employment outcomes.' |
|
| 'However, when policy researchers Jennifer Walsh and Michael Torres examined employment data from several rural counties with comparable education budgets, they discovered that job market strength varied significantly despite similar spending levels,' |
|
| 'though they did not dismiss education funding as irrelevant to employment.' |
|
| 'Instead, they suggested that economic development in these counties may have been sufficiently infrastructure-dependent to override the expected education-employment relationship.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Walsh and Torres found that infrastructure factors may be more important than education spending for rural employment outcomes.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with the conventional wisdom linking education spending to job market strength, then presents research that challenges this relationship in rural areas, concluding with the researchers' hypothesis that infrastructure dependency explains why similar education investments produce different employment results.
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
- Walsh and Torres' explanation is that infrastructure needs were strong enough to override the usual education-employment relationship
- The best supporting evidence would show that infrastructure differences actually correlate with the job market variations they observed, even when education spending was the same
- The right answer should demonstrate that counties with better infrastructure had stronger job markets, while counties with weaker infrastructure had weaker job markets - regardless of their similar education budgets
The counties have implemented different approaches to education spending, with some focusing on K-12 programs while others prioritize community college funding.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the counties actually had different education spending approaches
- This would contradict the premise that they had comparable education budgets and doesn't support the infrastructure explanation at all
The counties have similar demographic characteristics and population densities, making direct comparison of their education policies meaningful.
✗ Incorrect
- This just confirms the counties are good for comparison purposes but doesn't provide evidence for why job markets varied
The counties with stronger job markets are located near major highways and have superior broadband internet access compared to those with weaker employment.
✓ Correct
- Shows counties with stronger job markets had better highways and broadband access
- This directly demonstrates the infrastructure-job market correlation Walsh and Torres proposed
The counties have all received additional federal education funding that was not included in the researchers' initial spending calculations.
✗ Incorrect
- This would mean the counties didn't actually have comparable education budgets, which contradicts the study's premise
- Would undermine rather than support their findings