While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Malapportionment is the over- or underrepresentation (relative to population size)...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Malapportionment is the over- or underrepresentation (relative to population size) of electoral districts in a governing body.
- It is a common feature of representative governments.
- There are 169 seats in Norway's supreme legislature (the Storting).
- Seats are distributed by a formula that awards 1 point per resident and 1.8 points per unit of land.
- Less populated rural districts with large tracts of land receive a disproportionate number of seats compared to smaller but more populated urban districts.
The student wants to refute a claim that malapportionment in the Storting favors small urban districts. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Less populated rural districts are disproportionally underrepresented in the Storting, creating an unfair advantage for smaller but more populated urban districts.
It's untrue that malapportionment in the 169-seat Storting favors small urban districts; rather, the formula for distributing seats overrepresents more populated districts.
A common feature of representative governments, malapportionment occurs when electoral districts are over- or underrepresented.
Awarding more points per unit of land than points per resident, the formula for distributing Storting seats overrepresents less populated rural districts with large tracts of land.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Malapportionment is the over- or underrepresentation (relative to population size) of electoral districts in a governing body.' |
|
| 'It is a common feature of representative governments.' |
|
| 'There are 169 seats in Norway's supreme legislature (the Storting).' |
|
| 'Seats are distributed by a formula that awards 1 point per resident and 1.8 points per unit of land.' |
|
| 'Less populated rural districts with large tracts of land receive a disproportionate number of seats compared to smaller but more populated urban districts.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Norway's Storting seat distribution formula creates malapportionment that favors rural districts with large land areas over more populated urban districts.
Argument Flow: The notes first define malapportionment as unequal representation relative to population, then provide context that it's common in representative governments. They then focus on Norway's Storting, explaining how its specific formula (giving more weight to land than population) results in rural districts being overrepresented compared to urban districts.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The student wants to refute a specific claim that 'malapportionment in the Storting favors small urban districts.'
What type of answer do we need? We need to find information from the notes that contradicts or disproves this claim.
Any limiting keywords? 'Most effectively uses relevant information from the notes' - so we need to use the specific details provided, not general knowledge.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The claim we need to refute is that small urban districts are favored. From our analysis, we know that:
- The formula gives 1.8 points per unit of land vs only 1 point per resident
- This results in rural districts (which have large land areas but fewer people) getting disproportionately more seats
- Urban districts (smaller areas but more people) get fewer seats relative to their population
- So the right answer should show that rural districts, not urban districts, are the ones being favored by the malapportionment in the Storting.
Less populated rural districts are disproportionally underrepresented in the Storting, creating an unfair advantage for smaller but more populated urban districts.
- Claims rural districts are 'disproportionally underrepresented'. This directly contradicts our notes, which state rural districts receive a 'disproportionate number of seats'
It's untrue that malapportionment in the 169-seat Storting favors small urban districts; rather, the formula for distributing seats overrepresents more populated districts.
- Claims 'the formula for distributing seats overrepresents more populated districts'. This is backwards - the notes clearly state that less populated rural districts get disproportionate representation
A common feature of representative governments, malapportionment occurs when electoral districts are over- or underrepresented.
- Simply restates the definition of malapportionment from the notes. Doesn't address the specific claim about the Storting or whether urban vs rural districts are favored
Awarding more points per unit of land than points per resident, the formula for distributing Storting seats overrepresents less populated rural districts with large tracts of land.
- States the formula 'overrepresents less populated rural districts with large tracts of land'. This directly matches what our notes tell us and effectively refutes the claim by showing the formula favors rural districts (not urban)