The rate of violent crime in this state has risen by 30% compared to last year. The blame is placed entirely on our justice system. Recently, judges have been issuing sentences so lenient that criminals can act with little fear of lengthy imprisonment.

Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument above?

Question

The rate of violent crime in this state has risen by 30% compared to last year. The blame is placed entirely on our justice system. Recently, judges have been issuing sentences so lenient that criminals can act with little fear of lengthy imprisonment.

Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument above?

Accepted Answer

**Solution:**

1. The argument claims that the increase in violent crime is due to lenient judicial sentences.

2. To weaken this argument, we need evidence that suggests other factors could be responsible for the crime rise.

3. Option (c) states that 35\% of the police force was laid off due to budget cuts. This reduction in law enforcement could explain the increase in crime independently of judicial leniency.

4. Therefore, if fewer police are available to prevent or respond to crime, the rise in violent crime might not be due to lenient sentences but rather to decreased policing.

5. Other options either do not directly challenge the cause-effect relationship or are irrelevant to the argument's core claim.

**Answer:** Option (c) 35\% of the police force in this state were laid off last year due to budget reductions

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