While conducting research on a subject, a student has compiled the following notes:Economists are scholars who examine economic circumstances and...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While conducting research on a subject, a student has compiled the following notes:
- Economists are scholars who examine economic circumstances and patterns.
- Certain economists assess poverty utilizing absolute benchmarks grounded in fundamental survival requirements.
- This approach revealed that \(15\%\) of households in the area experience poverty.
- Alternative economists evaluate poverty employing relative measures in comparison to median household earnings.
- This approach revealed that \(28\%\) of households in the area experience poverty.
The student seeks to formulate and substantiate a broad conclusion regarding economists' methodologies for poverty assessment. Which option most effectively employs pertinent information from the notes to achieve these objectives?
Economists' varying assessment methodologies can result in markedly different poverty evaluations, as the regional data illustrates.
Area poverty has been computed utilizing both absolute and relative economic criteria.
Certain economists who examine economic circumstances employ absolute benchmarks grounded in fundamental survival requirements to assess poverty.
According to recent analysis, the area exhibits a greater poverty rate when evaluated through relative rather than absolute criteria.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Economists are scholars who examine economic circumstances and patterns.' |
|
| 'Certain economists assess poverty utilizing absolute benchmarks grounded in fundamental survival requirements.' |
|
| 'This approach revealed that 15% of households in the area experience poverty.' |
|
| 'Alternative economists evaluate poverty employing relative measures in comparison to median household earnings.' |
|
| 'This approach revealed that 28% of households in the area experience poverty.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map: Context about economists leads to Method 1 (absolute benchmarks) with \(15\%\) result, then Method 2 (relative measures) with \(28\%\) result, showing different methods produce different outcomes.
Main Point: Different economic methodologies for measuring poverty produce significantly different results in the same area.
Argument Flow: The notes establish that economists study economic patterns, then present two distinct approaches to measuring poverty and show that these methods yield substantially different poverty rates for the same region.
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 key insight is that we have two different methods producing dramatically different results - \(15\%\) versus \(28\%\) poverty in the same area
- A broad conclusion should capture this fundamental finding about methodology differences
- The right answer should acknowledge that economists use different approaches and connect these different approaches to different outcomes as a broader principle about methodology
Economists' varying assessment methodologies can result in markedly different poverty evaluations, as the regional data illustrates.
- Makes the broad conclusion that different methodologies yield different results and uses the regional data as substantiation
- Captures the key insight about methodology variation leading to assessment variation
Area poverty has been computed utilizing both absolute and relative economic criteria.
- Simply states that both methods were used in the area
- This is just reporting what happened, not drawing a broader conclusion about methodologies
Certain economists who examine economic circumstances employ absolute benchmarks grounded in fundamental survival requirements to assess poverty.
- Only describes what certain economists do with absolute benchmarks
- Ignores the relative approach entirely and the comparison between methods
According to recent analysis, the area exhibits a greater poverty rate when evaluated through relative rather than absolute criteria.
- Accurately reports that relative criteria showed higher poverty rates but this is a narrow finding about which method shows more poverty, not a broad conclusion about methodologies themselves