Reading comp PrepTest 110 · Section 1 · Question 6

Topic: Social Sciences

Paragraph 1

• Paragraph note
  • Author’s conclusion (Most authoritarians allow democratic reforms because social changes require such reforms)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Author’s view: Most authoritarian regimes make democratic reforms because social changes make it impossible to hold on to absolute power, not because the rulers are committed to democracy (first sentence)
  • Author’s attitude: “not out of any intrinsic commitment or conversion” (first sentence); “impossible” (first sentence)

Paragraph 2

• Paragraph note
  • First type of social change (Citizens’ shifting values/norms lead to rejection of authoritarian rule) and example (Latin American countries)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • List of major social changes that cause the rejection of authoritarianism, according to the author:
    • Item 1: Citizens’ changing values/norms lead to a lower tolerance of repression/absolute power and an increased willingness to mobilize and speak out, often starting with a rejection of human rights abuses (second and last sentences)
  • Example of changing values/norms, according to the author:
    • Latin American countries in the 1970s and 80s (third sentence)
  • Author’s attitude: “can contribute” (first sentence); “came about partly” (third sentence); “frequently beginning” (last sentence)

Paragraph 3

• Paragraph note
  • Second type of social change (privileged people realize that authoritarianism is bad for their economic interests) and example (Philippines)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • List of major social changes that cause the rejection of authoritarianism, according to the author:
    • Item 2: When privileged people who used to support the authoritarian rules (like landowners, industrialists, merchants, and bankers) determine that authoritarianism is adverse to their economic interests (second sentence)
  • Examples of changing economic interests, according to the author:
    • Philippines and other contemporary authoritarian nations (last sentence)
  • Author’s attitude: “can shift” (first sentence); “an important turning point” (second sentence); “was crucial” (last sentence); “also begun occurring incrementally” (last sentence)

Paragraph 4

• Paragraph note
  • Third type of social change (activists rise and develop organizations) and numerous examples (students, workers, lawyers, etc.)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • List of major social changes that cause the rejection of authoritarianism, according to the author:
    • Item 3: Various communities gain more resources, autonomy, and confidence, then organize, and then circumvent the authoritarian rule (first through last sentences)
  • Examples of community activism, according to the author:
    • Students marching, workers striking, lawyers refusing to cooperate with regime, alternative sources of info emerging, and networks circumventing state rule (second sentence)
  • Comparison between authoritarian regimes before and after this social change, according to the author:
    • Before, the regimes easily controlled their citizens; after, the regimes are on the defensive (last sentence)
  • Author’s attitude: “profound development” (last sentence); “radically alter” (last sentence)

Paragraph 5

• Paragraph note
  • Author’s support (authoritarian rule leads to all three changes)
• Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
  • Author’s view: Authoritarian regimes — especially those that create economic growth and social stability — tend to lead to all three changes, so regimes are forced to match the ensuing democratic social changes with democratic political changes (first through last sentences)
  • Cause-and-effect relationship, according to the author:
    • Authoritarian regimes that cause economic growth and social stability cause their citizens to reflect on their living conditions, which causes the emergence of social changes that lead to democratic reforms (second and last sentences)
  • Author’s attitude: “tends in the long run” (first sentence); “Ironically” (second sentence); “can be accelerated” (second sentence); “only hope of retaining some power” (last sentence)

Main Point: Most authoritarian rulers who undertake democratic reforms do so in response to changes in societal values, the shifting economic interests of previous regime supporters, and the formation of activist organizations, all of which tend to result from authoritarian regimes.

Paragraph 1, Sentence 1 (P1, S1) - The author’s conclusion

P2, S2 - First type of social change

P3, S2 - Second type of social change

P4, S2 - Third type of social change

Meta Structure?

Phenomenon/Explanation: This passage best fits the Phenomenon/Explanation Meta-Structure. As is typical in this Meta-Structure, the author identifies a phenomenon (authoritarian leaders allowing democratic reform) and then explains this phenomenon. Here, the author leads with a clear central thesis — authoritarian rulers allow democratic reforms out of self-interest, not out of genuine belief in democratic ideals — in the first paragraph. The author uses the next three paragraphs to explain the three major changes that force authoritarian rulers to reform.

In a Phenomenon/Explanation passage, the main point is generally the author’s opinion of the explanation. In this passage, the author endorses the explanation that authoritarian regimes allow democratic reforms in response to major social changes. As you can see in the Main Point section, we included the author’s explanation and the three major social changes in our anticipated main point.

This passage uses a straightforward structure that allows us to read predictively. In the first paragraph, the author makes a declarative statement about why authoritarian regimes allow democratic reforms. We can anticipate the author will examine, explain or defend this proposition throughout the passage. In the second paragraph, the author references “three major types of changes” (P2, S1) before elaborating on the first change. We can anticipate that the following two paragraphs will discuss the following two types of changes. Developing your ability to read predictively is one way to read these passages more efficiently and confidently.