Isn't Answer C out of scope?

Hi Tyler808, This is a great example of why I dont think that scope is a particularly useful concept to evaluate answer choices. Rather, I would try to assess if and how the answer choice relates to the argument. If we were to show that the trend in question was actually part of a preexisting trend, then surely that would relate to the argument, even if we think that the past would be out of scope. Determining what is in and not in scope is a hard exercise, and (just in my opinion, there are certainly other voices who would not agree with me) not a particularly valuable one. Looking at C, we are told that the increase in the death rate during the prohibition period was the same as the increase was in the period before and after. that is, the rising death rate was part of a trend that existed before, during, and after prohibition. This weakens the idea that prohibition increased deaths, as it shows that the increase was already part of a preexisting trend.

Thank you for the explanation Emil and thank you for the constant replys! I get a little eager at times when I come across a question and I have no way around what it's the correct answer.