Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor focused their efforts on workplace safety, reasonable hours, and fair wages. These...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor focused their efforts on workplace safety, reasonable hours, and fair wages. These practical demands—which even business leaders would eventually recognize as legitimate—drove most labor actions of the early 1900s. Yet the broader labor movement continues to be viewed as radical and anti-business. This characterization stems largely from critics' emphasis on strikes and protests, methods common to many social reform efforts. Historical analysis suggests this perception overlooks the movement's core concerns, which were rarely concealed by revolutionary language.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the early labor movement?
It has been unfairly characterized based on tactics that were also employed by other social movements of the period.
It evolved from a radical anti-business stance to focus on more practical workplace concerns over time.
It has been largely misunderstood by historians who have failed to recognize the legitimacy of its core demands.
It established a tradition of workplace advocacy that has continued even though the movement itself declined after 1900.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor focused their efforts on workplace safety, reasonable hours, and fair wages.' |
|
| 'These practical demands—which even business leaders would eventually recognize as legitimate—drove most labor actions of the early 1900s.' |
|
| 'Yet the broader labor movement continues to be viewed as radical and anti-business.' |
|
| 'This characterization stems largely from critics' emphasis on strikes and protests, methods common to many social reform efforts.' |
|
| 'Historical analysis suggests this perception overlooks the movement's core concerns, which were rarely concealed by revolutionary language.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The early labor movement has been unfairly characterized as radical because critics focus on protest methods rather than the movement's legitimate core concerns.
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 passage makes a clear argument that the labor movement has been mischaracterized
- The key elements the correct answer should include are:
- Recognition that the characterization is unfair or inaccurate
- Understanding that the negative view comes from focusing on tactics (strikes/protests)
- Recognition that these tactics were used by other social movements too
- The passage emphasizes that critics focus on 'strikes and protests, methods common to many social reform efforts,' which suggests the characterization is unfair because it judges the labor movement by tactics that other movements also used
It has been unfairly characterized based on tactics that were also employed by other social movements of the period.
✓ Correct
- Captures the unfair characterization aspect that the passage emphasizes
- Correctly identifies that the negative view is based on tactics
- Matches the passage's key point that these methods were 'common to many social reform efforts'
It evolved from a radical anti-business stance to focus on more practical workplace concerns over time.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the movement 'evolved from radical to practical' over time
- The passage shows the opposite—the practical demands came first but the movement is still viewed as radical
It has been largely misunderstood by historians who have failed to recognize the legitimacy of its core demands.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on historians misunderstanding the movement
- The passage doesn't criticize historians—it actually cites 'historical analysis' as providing the correct perspective
It established a tradition of workplace advocacy that has continued even though the movement itself declined after 1900.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the movement 'declined after 1900'
- The passage gives no information about what happened to the movement after the early 1900s