Text 1: Economist Dr. Rachel Kim supports free trade. "Trade barriers harm consumers through higher prices and limited choices," Kim argues. "Comparative advantage benefits all participating nations through specialization."
Text 2: Labor advocate Thomas Wright criticizes trade agreements. "Free trade prioritizes corporate profits over workers," Wright contends. "Manufacturing jobs move to low-wage countries while displaced workers struggle to transition."
Both Kim and Wright would most likely agree with which statement?
International trade has no effect on domestic economies
Trade policies involve tradeoffs between different groups
All trade barriers should be immediately eliminated
Worker welfare should never factor into trade decisions
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Kim notes consumer benefits; Wright notes worker costs. Both implicitly agree trade creates winners and losers—they just prioritize different groups.
- Evidence: Kim focuses on consumers; Wright focuses on workers.
- Reasoning: Both describe consequences for specific groups.
- Conclusion: They agree tradeoffs exist, disagreeing on which matter most.
Choice A is incorrect because both acknowledge significant effects. Choice C is incorrect because Wright opposes this. Choice D is incorrect because Wright prioritizes workers.