Directions: Read the following two passages and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answer to these items should be based on the passages only.
Passage - ‘A good statesman, like any other sensible. human being, learns more from his opponents than from his fervent supporters. For his supporters will push him to disaster unless his opponents show him where the dangers are. So if he is wise he will often pray to be delivered from his friends, because they will ruin him. But, though it hurts, he ought also to pray never to be left without opponents; for they keep him on the path of reason and good sense. The national unity of free people depends upon a sufficiently even balance of political power to make it impracticable for the administration to be arbitrary and for opposition to be revolutionary and irreconcilable.’
Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the author of the passage?
The passage highlights the indispensable role of opposition in a democracy. It asserts that opponents guide a statesman towards reason and good sense, preventing potential disasters that might arise from unchecked support. The author further states that national unity in a free society relies on a sufficiently even balance of political power. This balance ensures that the administration does not become arbitrary and the opposition does not become revolutionary or irreconcilable. Thus, the opposition is crucial for maintaining political equilibrium and fostering effective governance.
Option (A): This statement contradicts the passage's central argument. The author explicitly states that opponents keep a statesman on the path of reason and show where dangers lie, implying that without opposition, an administration is more likely to become irresponsible and arbitrary, not more responsible.
Option (B): The passage warns against opposition becoming "revolutionary and irreconcilable," indicating that such extremism undermines national unity. It advocates for a balanced political power structure, not for revolutionary elements within the opposition, to keep the government alert.
Option (C): The passage focuses on the opposition's function in ensuring accountability, promoting rational decision-making, and maintaining a balanced political landscape for good governance. It does not suggest that rulers require the support of the opposition for their political survival; rather, it emphasizes the opposition's role in keeping the administration in check.