An inference question tests what you can reasonably conclude from the text’s clues. Read the words before the blank to see what kind of ending you need. If the ending brings together two cases, put each case in a few words and predict a conclusion that covers both without going beyond the evidence. Then check how far the evidence reaches as you test the choices. A conclusion about a few examples can’t automatically become a rule about everyone.
Hints
- Hint 1
Read the rules for choosing projects in Riverton and Lakehurst, and look for who gets the final say.
- Hint 2
Test Riverton’s rule against the playground decision. Under Riverton’s charter, could officials pass over a top-voted project the way Lakehurst did?
Step-by-step
Compare residents’ control in each city
Step 1Read Riverton’s rule
Riverton’s charter requires officials to fund the projects receiving the most votes. Since the blank asks what the cases show together, let’s compare how much say residents have in each city. Can Riverton’s officials fund a project they prefer instead? No, because residents’ votes decide which projects must get funding.
- Step 2
Use Lakehurst’s actual decision
Who gets the final say in Lakehurst? Residents rank proposals, but the city council makes the final selection, and last year it passed over residents’ highest-ranked proposal for a playground to fund bridge repairs. That example shows that the council can set aside residents’ ranking rather than being forced to follow it.
- Step 3
Draw a conclusion about participation
Both cities involve residents in decisions about public spending, so participation can give residents different levels of control. Binding decisions are ones officials must follow, while nonbinding advice is input they can set aside. The choice using those terms shows that difference without turning either city’s process into a rule for all cities. Choice D.