Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow.…
2020
Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow.
The representative dimension of the new liberal political orders designed to protect individual rights, appeared as the best mechanism for actualizing popular rule or sovereignty - indeed democracy. As a result, it is more beneficial to assess the meaning and value of 'rights' as historical and political practices, rather than conceptual forms (especially as counterparts to 'virtue'). In this respect, the discourse of rights reflected a new official mode of combining ethics and power for political conduct. But the formally equal treatment of citizens belied a relatively arbitrary element, for the involvement of the citizenry in shaping the conduct of their representatives was left to influence elite procedures, qualifications and voluntary participation. Still, representation became the mythical means of transposing the authorizing power of the people to the new authorities of government. After all, representatives had more time and money to perfect their virtue and skill in conducting their work and were not supposed to be corrupted by the power that attended their offices. They were supposed to be better guardians and agents of public virtue than ordinary citizens as representation became institutionalized in the new states. The state wielded power over the people, diversifying rather than restricting the problems of demagoguery in ancient democracy that modern republics were supposed to correct.
Ques: According to the author of the passage, the modern republics should
- A.
Exercise power over people
- B.
Institutionalize power and corruption
- C.
Free themselves from the defects of ancient democracy
- D.
Imitate the institutions of new states
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept: In a passage-based comprehension question, the correct option must be traceable to an explicit statement in the passage itself, not to outside political-theory knowledge or a plausible-sounding claim the passage never actually makes. The task is to locate the exact clause that answers the stem and match it to the option closest to that clause's actual content.
Application: The passage's closing sentence states that the state “wielded power over the people, diversifying rather than restricting the problems of demagoguery in ancient democracy that modern republics were supposed to correct.” This sentence names the very defect — demagoguery in ancient democracy — that modern republics were expected to correct, that is, to free themselves from. That is exactly the idea captured by the option about freeing themselves from the defects of ancient democracy.
Cross-check: Checking each remaining reading against the passage:
Exercising power over people describes only what the state actually did, per the same closing sentence — the outcome the passage criticizes, not the goal modern republics were “supposed to” achieve.
Institutionalizing power and corruption contradicts the passage’s statement that representatives “were not supposed to be corrupted” by the power of their office.
Imitating the institutions of new states is not supported anywhere in the text — the passage discusses representation becoming institutionalized within new states, but never says modern republics were meant to copy or imitate institutions.
Answer: So, per the author, modern republics were meant to free themselves from the defects of ancient democracy.