Q9 - Journalist: A free marketplace of ideas

[canylaw]

Why answer choice A is not the TCR?

[maryadkins]

When a conclusion is unclear, I like to ask myself this: If the person making this argument had to eliminate everything but ONE single idea--in just a single phrase--what would he or she keep?

You'll find that typically, when a long stimulus like this includes a recommendation or a statement about what "should" or "needs to" be done, that statement is the conclusion. Here, the journalist is making a strongly opinionated argument with a number of claims that kind of read like conclusions. But if we simmer this thing down to what the main point really is, we see it right there in the middle (note: the standard spot for these kinds of questions!): gov't control needs to be curtailed! That's (C).

(A) is incorrect because while it's consistent with his or her argument, it's not the main point.

(B) Same.

(D) is not the conclusion.

(E) isn't either.