Multiple choice

Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer choices given.

Last year in the United States, women who ran for state and national offices were about as likely to win as men. However, only about fifteen percent of the candidates for these offices were women. Therefore, the reason there are so few women who win elections for these offices is not that women have difficulty winning elections but that so few women want to run. Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the conclusion given?

  1. Last year the proportion of women incumbents who won reelection was smaller than the proportion of men incumbents who won reelection.

  2. Few women who run for state and national offices run against other women.

  3. Most women who have no strong desire to be politicians never run for state and national offices.

  4. The proportion of people holding local offices who are women is smaller than the proportion of people holding state and national offices who are women.

  5. Many more women than men who want to run for state and national offices do not because they cannot get adequate funding for their campaigns.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The argument claims that few women win because few women want to run. Option E undermines this by showing that many women want to run but cannot because of funding barriers, suggesting structural rather than motivational reasons for low female representation. If funding is the barrier, then increasing women's willingness to run won't necessarily increase women in office.

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