Indicate which of the proposed reconstructions best captures the italicized argument in the following passages from Ben Selznik, “Make it 18”:
(2) Drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way.——————————
∴ (3) Were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the government. (from 1-2)
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∴ (3) Each state sets its drinking age at 21. (from 1-2)
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∴ (3) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it will lose federal highway funds. (from 1-2)
(4) If a state loses federal highway funds, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds.
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∴ (5) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds. (from 3-4)
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∴ (6) States do not lower their drinking age below 21. (from 5)
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∴ (7) Each state sets its drinking age at 21. (from 6)
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∴ (3) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it will lose federal highway funds. (from 1-2)
(4) If a state loses federal highway funds, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds.
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∴ (5) If a state lowers its drinking age below 21, then it would have to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds. (from 3-4)
(6) States do not do what will make them have to significantly raise taxes.
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∴ (7) States do not lower their drinking age below 21. (from 5-6)
(8) If states do not lower their drinking age below 21, then they set their drinking age at 21.
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∴ (9) States set their drinking age at 21. (from 7-8)
