ParaSummary Question 9 - CAT 2021
Passage:
The unlikely alliance of the incumbent industrialist and the distressed unemployed worker is especially powerful amid the debris of corporate bankruptcies and layoffs. In an economic downturn, the capitalist is more likely to focus on costs of the competition emanating from free markets than on the opportunities they create. And the unemployed worker will find many others in a similar condition and with anxieties similar to his, which will make it easier for them to organize together. Using the cover and the political organization provided by the distressed, the capitalist captures the political agenda.
A) In an economic downturn, the capitalists use the anxieties of the unemployed and their political organisation to set the political agenda to suit their economic interests.
B) The purpose of an unlikely alliance between the industrialist and the unemployed during an economic downturn is to stifle competition in free markets.
C) An economic downturn creates competition because of which the capitalists capture the political agenda created by the political organisation provided by the unemployed.
D) An unlikely alliance of the industrialist and the unemployed happens during an economic downturn in which they come together to unite politically and capture the political agenda.
Step-by-Step Explanation
- Correct Answer: A
- Explanation: The passage describes a calculated alliance formed during recessions. Capitalists focus heavily on reducing competition, while unemployed workers organize around shared anxieties. The capitalist takes advantage of this situation, using the workers' organization as a shield to capture and steer the political agenda to benefit their own interests. Option A outlines this dynamic exactly.
- FundaMakers Tip: Identify the Ultimate Beneficiary. While an alliance occurs between both parties (as stated in options B and D), the paragraph ends with a definitive focus on how the capitalist leverages the situation to hijack the political landscape. Option A ensures the final emphasis lands exactly where the author intended.