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 Administrator
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#84939
Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice.


Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!
 tanushreebansal
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#36819
Hi! I had difficulty choosing between C and E. In the end, I chose E because the two reasons cited by the passage as to the intention of the vagrancy laws were 1) keep labor costs low and 2) keep exports competitive.

Answer choice C looked good at first because it talks about cheap labor. However, it also mentions "productivity" which is not one of the cited 2 reasons. In fact, productivity increased only after the attitude towards forced labor began to change (lines 42-47). Thus, I eliminated answer choice C.

I went with E because I thought it related directly to the reason of keeping exports competitive.

Can you explain why C is correct but E is incorrect? Thank you!
 Adam Tyson
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#36890
Hey there tanushreebansal, thanks for the question. Look to these earlier lines for support for answer C:
Eltis points to continuing use of low wages and Draconian vagrancy laws in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to ensure the industriousness of British workers. Indeed, certain notables even called for the enslavement of unemployed laborers who roamed the British countryside--an acceptance of coerced labor that Eltis attributes to a preindustrial desire to keep labor costs low and exports competitive.
Here, our author directly ties the low wages and Draconian vagrancy laws to productivity (industriousness) and low cost. That's all we need to pick answer C.

The problem with E is that it's about helping the British colonies to compete with Britain. Vagrancy laws in Britain, where the unemployed were roaming the countryside, weren't about helping the colonies, but about helping the homeland. If anything, E has it backwards - it's about helping the homeland to compete with the colonies.

Check that one again and I think you will see the backward nature of answer E, and C will look a whole lot better to you.

Keep at it!
 gweatherall
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#36915
Hi! I actually had trouble with this one too, but I chose D. I was considering C, but in the end went with D because of the direct reference to unemployment- "Indeed, certain notables even called for the enslavement of unemployed laborers" (lines 37-38).

I ended up choosing D over C because of the direct word parallel and because "industriousness" doesn't really mean the same thing as "cheap and productive"- I would usually think of the word "industrious" as referring to something more personal (i.e., willingness to work), rather than the effect of the personal action (the effect, in this case, being a "cheap and productive work force"). Does that make sense?

Basically, I'd love to have a firm answer on why D is wrong. Thanks!!
 tanushreebansal
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#37111
That was helpful- can't believe I didn't notice that. Thank you!

Adam Tyson wrote:Hey there tanushreebansal, thanks for the question. Look to these earlier lines for support for answer C:
Eltis points to continuing use of low wages and Draconian vagrancy laws in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to ensure the industriousness of British workers. Indeed, certain notables even called for the enslavement of unemployed laborers who roamed the British countryside--an acceptance of coerced labor that Eltis attributes to a preindustrial desire to keep labor costs low and exports competitive.
Here, our author directly ties the low wages and Draconian vagrancy laws to productivity (industriousness) and low cost. That's all we need to pick answer C.

The problem with E is that it's about helping the British colonies to compete with Britain. Vagrancy laws in Britain, where the unemployed were roaming the countryside, weren't about helping the colonies, but about helping the homeland. If anything, E has it backwards - it's about helping the homeland to compete with the colonies.

Check that one again and I think you will see the backward nature of answer E, and C will look a whole lot better to you.

Keep at it!
 NolaB
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#43603
gweatherall wrote:Hi! I actually had trouble with this one too, but I chose D. I was considering C, but in the end went with D because of the direct reference to unemployment- "Indeed, certain notables even called for the enslavement of unemployed laborers" (lines 37-38).

I ended up choosing D over C because of the direct word parallel and because "industriousness" doesn't really mean the same thing as "cheap and productive"- I would usually think of the word "industrious" as referring to something more personal (i.e., willingness to work), rather than the effect of the personal action (the effect, in this case, being a "cheap and productive work force"). Does that make sense?

Basically, I'd love to have a firm answer on why D is wrong. Thanks!!
Hi! I didn't see an answer to this inquiry, so I wanted to second the request for a firm answer on why D is wrong. I chose D for the same reasons, and I thought C was perhaps trying to fool me by pointing toward line 46 (where Eltis identifies "want creation" and other incentives to increase productivity in the late 18th century). Thank you!
 James Finch
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#43702
Hi Nola,

It looks like you were tricked into thinking this question was more difficult than it was. When you have a subject reference, especially one to a specific person's point of view, there will be clear and unambiguous textual support for the correct answer. As Adam has pointed out, that exists for answer choice (C).

However, having (D) immediately follow the correct answer is an attempt to instill a sense of uncertainty; most test takers would immediately think (C) was a Contender, even the correct answer, upon reading it, and some will then begin trying to talk themselves out of that choice as soon as they see (D). This is a common test making practice, and is designed to trick test takers.

Where (D) goes wrong is that there is no textual support for it; Eltis's beliefs as to the reasons for low wages and Draconian vagrancy laws is clearly stated. The only statement about unemployment is the proposal by some nobles about enslaving unemployed laborers in order to keep costs low. The question asks for the reasons behind the policies, not other policies proposed with the same rationale.

Hope this clears things up!

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