Question 122·Medium·Command of Evidence
Political scientists sometimes study how often the US Supreme Court exercises judicial review by invalidating statutes. The chart shows the number of federal and state statutes invalidated by the Court in each decade from the 1950s through the 2010s. Although the number of state statutes invalidated stayed within a relatively narrow range, the Court’s invalidations of federal statutes increased sharply near the end of the twentieth century: the number of federal statutes the Court invalidated rose from ____
Which choice most effectively uses data to complete the statement?
For command-of-evidence questions that use a graph, first identify exactly what the sentence is claiming (here, a sharp increase near the end of the twentieth century). Then use the graph’s legend to select the correct data series and read only the specific categories (decades) the claim points to, matching both endpoints to one option while eliminating choices that use the wrong time period or the wrong series.
Hints
Use the legend carefully
Make sure you are reading the line for federal statutes, not the one for state statutes.
Focus on the decades mentioned by the claim
The phrase “near the end of the twentieth century” points you to the 1980s and 1990s.
Compare endpoints only
Once you locate the two decades, read the y-values at those two points and choose the option that matches both values.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the relevant series
Use the legend to identify the federal statutes line (the solid line with circle markers).
Read the two decades near the end of the twentieth century
On the federal line, the point for the 1980s is at 4 and the point for the 1990s is at 11.
Match the option to those values
The choice that reports a rise from about 4 in the 1980s to about 11 in the 1990s is about 4 federal statutes in the 1980s to about 11 in the 1990s.