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The rate of violent crime in this state has increased by 30% from last year. The fault lies entirely in our system of justice. Recently, our judges' sentences have been so lenient that criminals can now do almost anything without fear of a long prison term. The argument above would be weakened if it were true that

1. 85% of the other states in the nation have lower crime rates than this state
2. white-collar crime in this state has also increased by over 25% in the last year
3. 35% of the police in this state have been laid off in the last year due to budget cuts
4. polls show that 65% of the population in this state opposes capital punishment

Correct answer: 35% of the police in this state have been laid off in the last year due to budget cuts

Solution

The argument claims that lenient sentencing is entirely responsible for the rise in violent crime. If a large portion of police were laid off, then reduced enforcement could also explain the increase, weakening the claim that the justice system alone is at fault.

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