The rapid expansion of suburban communities in post-World War II America created unprecedented demand for new infrastructure, particularly roads and...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The rapid expansion of suburban communities in post-World War II America created unprecedented demand for new infrastructure, particularly roads and utilities. Local governments initially struggled to finance these projects through traditional property taxes alone. The introduction of special assessment districts in the 1950s provided municipalities with an alternative funding mechanism, allowing them to charge property owners directly for infrastructure improvements that benefited their specific areas. This innovation enabled suburban development to proceed at the pace demanded by population growth.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To outline the challenges faced by suburban communities in the post-war era
To explain how special assessment districts solved municipal financing problems for suburban infrastructure
To compare traditional property taxes with newer funding mechanisms
To describe the rapid pace of suburban development after World War II
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The rapid expansion of suburban communities in post-World War II America created unprecedented demand for new infrastructure, particularly roads and utilities.' |
|
| 'Local governments initially struggled to finance these projects through traditional property taxes alone.' |
|
| 'The introduction of special assessment districts in the 1950s provided municipalities with an alternative funding mechanism, allowing them to charge property owners directly for infrastructure improvements that benefited their specific areas.' |
|
| 'This innovation enabled suburban development to proceed at the pace demanded by population growth.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The text explains how special assessment districts solved the financing challenges that suburban infrastructure development faced after World War II.
Argument Flow: The passage follows a clear problem-solution structure. It establishes the context of rapid suburban growth creating infrastructure needs, identifies the financing problem with traditional methods, introduces special assessment districts as the innovative solution, and concludes with the positive impact this had on development.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
- What type of answer do we need? The overall goal or intent behind writing this passage
- Any limiting keywords? 'Main purpose' tells us we need the primary, overarching reason this text was written
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our passage map, we can see this text has a clear purpose
- The passage moves systematically from problem (financing infrastructure) to solution (special assessment districts) to positive outcome (enabling development)
- The right answer should capture this problem-solving focus and recognize that special assessment districts are the central innovation being explained
To outline the challenges faced by suburban communities in the post-war era
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses only on challenges, but our passage spends most of its time on the solution
- Misses the central point about special assessment districts as the innovation that solved problems
To explain how special assessment districts solved municipal financing problems for suburban infrastructure
✓ Correct
- Captures both the problem (municipal financing problems) and the solution (special assessment districts)
- Matches our passage structure perfectly: problem → solution → outcome
To compare traditional property taxes with newer funding mechanisms
✗ Incorrect
- The passage mentions traditional property taxes struggled but doesn't compare different funding mechanisms
- There's no detailed comparison - just states one didn't work and another did
To describe the rapid pace of suburban development after World War II
✗ Incorrect
- Rapid development is mentioned as context, but it's not what the passage is primarily about
- The main focus is on the financing solution, not describing the development pace itself