TOEFL Reading Detail: Political Science – Academic Passage (Advanced)

คำถาม 1 — detail

According to paragraph 2, modernization theory suggests that a key factor leading to democracy is...

the immediate collapse of the authoritarian regime.
the establishment of a powerful military to ensure order.
the growth of a politically assertive and educated middle class.
the negotiation of pacts between opposing political elites.

Answer Explanation

[PASSAGE] "...rising levels of wealth, urbanization, and education create a more complex civil society, foster a larger and more politically assertive middle class...". This means that increasing economic prosperity, urban living, and education lead to a more influential and outspoken middle class. [WHY CORRECT] Option 3 is correct because the quoted sentence explicitly states that modernization theory believes rising wealth, urbanization, and education "foster a larger and more politically assertive middle class," which are "essential prerequisites for a stable democracy." This directly links the growth of such a middle class to democracy. [TRAPS] Option 1 (immediate collapse of the authoritarian regime) is wrong because paragraph 2 focuses on gradual socioeconomic development, not sudden regime collapse. Option 4 (negotiation of pacts between opposing political elites) is wrong because this concept is introduced in paragraph 3 as part of "transitology," a theory that challenged modernization theory, not a component of modernization theory itself. Option 2 (establishment of a powerful military) is not mentioned in paragraph 2 as a factor for democracy. [TIP] When answering "detail" questions, always return to the specified paragraph and look for direct statements or clear inferences related to the question's keywords. Avoid bringing in information from other paragraphs or outside knowledge.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

Option A (“the immediate collapse of the authoritarian regime.”) swaps the cause and effect described in the passage.
Option B (“the establishment of a powerful military to ensure order.”) attaches the right fact to the wrong subject.
Option D (“the negotiation of pacts between opposing political elites.”) states information not mentioned in the passage.

Key Language in Context

The language describing Political Science rewards close reading: notice contrast markers, hedging, and emphasis, since TOEFL detail items hinge on nuance rather than matching keywords.

Skill Takeaway

Scan for the keyword from the question, then read one sentence around it carefully.