The Roman Republic's complex system of checks and balances among consuls, senators, and tribunes successfully prevented any single individual from...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
The Roman Republic's complex system of checks and balances among consuls, senators, and tribunes successfully prevented any single individual from accumulating excessive power for nearly five centuries. _____ the republic's governmental structure proved remarkably stable and effective at maintaining democratic principles while expanding across the Mediterranean world.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
In other words,
Consequently,
However,
For instance,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The Roman Republic's complex system of checks and balances among consuls, senators, and tribunes successfully prevented any single individual from accumulating excessive power for nearly five centuries." |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| "the republic's governmental structure proved remarkably stable and effective at maintaining democratic principles while expanding across the Mediterranean world." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[HISTORICAL CLAIM] Roman checks & balances system worked for 5 centuries → [MISSING CONNECTOR] → [BROADER SUCCESS] Same structure = stable & effective overall
Main Point: The Roman Republic's governmental system was highly successful both in preventing power concentration and in maintaining stability during expansion.
Argument Flow: The passage presents evidence of the Roman system's success in one specific area (preventing individual power accumulation), then extends this to show the system's broader effectiveness and stability. The missing transition needs to connect these related but distinct points about the same governmental structure.
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
- Looking at our analysis, the first sentence shows how the Roman system succeeded in one specific way (preventing power concentration), and the second sentence describes the broader success of that same system (stability and effectiveness)
- These aren't contrasting ideas - they're related successes of the same governmental structure
- The logical relationship here is cause-and-effect or natural consequence
- Because the system successfully prevented power concentration for five centuries, it makes sense that this same structure would prove stable and effective overall
- So the right answer should signal that the second sentence follows logically from or results from what we learned in the first sentence
In other words,
✗ Incorrect
- "In other words" suggests the second sentence is restating or clarifying the first sentence
- But these are actually two different (though related) points about Roman success
- The second sentence isn't rephrasing the first - it's extending the argument
Consequently,
✓ Correct
- "Consequently" signals that what follows results from what came before
- Perfect logical fit: because the system prevented power concentration for 5 centuries, it consequently proved stable and effective overall
- Shows the cause-and-effect relationship between specific success and broader governmental effectiveness
However,
✗ Incorrect
- "However" indicates contrast or opposition between ideas
- Both sentences describe Roman governmental success - there's no contrast here
- This traps students who might focus on different aspects and mistakenly see them as opposing
For instance,
✗ Incorrect
- "For instance" introduces a specific example of a general principle
- But the second sentence isn't an example of the first - it's a broader statement about the same system's overall success
- The relationship flows from specific to general, not general to specific