While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a nearly 1,000-year-old alliance of six...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a nearly 1,000-year-old alliance of six Native nations in the northeastern US.
- The members are bound by a centuries-old agreement known as the Great Law of Peace.
- Historian Bruce Johansen is one of several scholars who believe that the principles of the Great Law of Peace influenced the US Constitution.
- This theory is called the influence theory.
- Johansen cites the fact that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both studied the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
The student wants to present the influence theory to an audience unfamiliar with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Historian Bruce Johansen believes that the Great Law of Peace was very influential.
The influence theory is supported by the fact that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both studied the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
The influence theory holds that the principles of the Great Law of Peace, a centuries-old agreement binding six Native nations in the northeastern US, influenced the US Constitution.
Native people, including the members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, influenced the founding of the US in many different ways.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a nearly 1,000-year-old alliance of six Native nations in the northeastern US." |
|
| "The members are bound by a centuries-old agreement known as the Great Law of Peace." |
|
| "Historian Bruce Johansen is one of several scholars who believe that the principles of the Great Law of Peace influenced the US Constitution." |
|
| "This theory is called the influence theory." |
|
| "Johansen cites the fact that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both studied the Haudenosaunee Confederacy." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The influence theory suggests that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy's Great Law of Peace influenced the US Constitution.
Argument Flow: The notes establish what the Haudenosaunee Confederacy is, present a scholarly theory about its influence on the US Constitution, name that theory, and provide evidence supporting it.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? Which choice most effectively presents the influence theory to an audience unfamiliar with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
What type of answer do we need? A statement that both explains what the influence theory claims AND provides necessary background context for readers who don't know about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Any limiting keywords? "most effectively" and "unfamiliar with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy"
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
For an audience unfamiliar with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the correct answer must:
- Clearly state what the influence theory claims (that the Great Law of Peace influenced the US Constitution)
- Provide essential context about what the Great Law of Peace is
- Include some basic information about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy itself
Historian Bruce Johansen believes that the Great Law of Peace was very influential.
✗ Incorrect
- States that Johansen believes the Great Law was influential but doesn't specify what it influenced
- Provides no context about what the Great Law of Peace is or what the Haudenosaunee Confederacy is
- Too vague for an unfamiliar audience
The influence theory is supported by the fact that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both studied the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
✗ Incorrect
- Only provides evidence for the theory (Franklin and Jefferson studied the Confederacy)
- Never actually states what the influence theory claims
The influence theory holds that the principles of the Great Law of Peace, a centuries-old agreement binding six Native nations in the northeastern US, influenced the US Constitution.
✓ Correct
- Clearly states what the influence theory claims: "principles of the Great Law of Peace...influenced the US Constitution"
- Provides essential context: "a centuries-old agreement binding six Native nations in the northeastern US"
- Gives unfamiliar readers exactly what they need to understand both the theory and its subject
Native people, including the members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, influenced the founding of the US in many different ways.
✗ Incorrect
- Too broad and vague - mentions Native influence generally rather than the specific influence theory
- Doesn't explain what the influence theory actually claims