Why is answer choice B wrong even though it is drawing a conclusion from one of the premises

Mario,

This is actually a pretty tricky question. Choice (B) makes too big a claim to be supported by the passage.

It says:
Local political business should be conducted less secretively because this WOULD avoid discouraging resident participation in local politics.

But the passage says that there are TWO factors that tend to isolate politicians from their local electorates. So simply conducting political business less secretly would NOT be enough to assure that resident participation would not be discouraged. Therefore, choice (B) is wrong.

Which one would you say is proper?

If B is wrong because only one of the two sources of discouragement (secretive meetings) is eliminated, then why would d be correct? More media coverage also eliminates only one of the two sources of discouragement

Thank you niels, and I need further clarification. The question lists two factors that isolate the electorate from local politicians, but places emphasis on neither factor. Then it says that these factors together reduce the chance that resident participation will get an official response. This reduction in public faith, although the result of the two aforementioned factors, is the only factor that IN TURN discourages public participation. So I don't understand why the order of the preconditions that affect the sole factor that (in turn) reduces participation would matter. I hope I am making sense.


factor

Zach, I owe you an apology I blame it on the 9 hour time difference ;)

A = News media rarely cover local politics thoroughly
B = Local political business is usually conducted secretively
A -> C
B -> C
C = Tend to isolate local politicians from their electorates
C -> D
D = Reducing the chance that any particular act of resident participation will elicit a positive official response
D -> E
E = Discourages resident participation in local politics

Since (A | B) -> C -> D -> E
Answer B state 'not B' implies 'not E' due the 'this would avoid', however A still implies -> E
So answer D is correct because it states 'would at least reduce one source(A)' i.o. an implication it would avoid E totally.

Niels