Economists analyzed four cities' small-business survival rates (% surviving 5 years) and reported them along with two factors: tax-incentive program (yes/no) and access to small-business loans (high/low): City J, incentive + high loans, 62%; K, incentive + low loans, 48%; L, no incentive + high loans, 50%; M, no incentive + low loans, 38%. The researchers argued that loan access has a larger effect than tax incentives. The strongest support is ______
Which choice most logically completes the text using the data above?
- A
the average rate.
- B
City M's lowest rate of 38%.
- C
City J's highest rate of 62%.
- Dcheck_circle
the comparison: loan-access effect (J vs. K: 14 points; L vs. M: 12 points) versus incentive effect (J vs. L: 12 points; K vs. M: 10 points)—loan access produces a similar or slightly larger gain than tax incentives.
Explanation
To compare loan-access and tax-incentive effects, examine each variable while holding the other constant. Choice B does both pairs of comparisons and finds loan access edges out incentives (14, 12 vs. 12, 10), supporting the comparative claim.