Question

maintaining benefits trumps deficit reduction
keeping social
security and
medicare benefits
as they are
taking steps to
reduce the budget
deficit
total
millen-
nial
gen x
boom-
er
silent
avoiding any
future cuts in
social security
benefit amounts
avoiding any
social security tax
increases for
workers and
employers
total
millen-
nial
gen x
boom-
er
silent
pew research center, sept. 22-oct. 4, 2011. q77 & q78.
which of the following accurately describes the information in the bar graph?
choose 1 answer:
a millennials and gen-xers are less likely to support cutting social security benefits to reduce the deficit than the boomer and silent generations
b the boomer and the silent generations are more likely to support maintaining social security benefits than millennials and gen-xers
c millennials and gen-xers are more likely to support avoiding cuts to social security than the boomer and the silent generations
d the boomer and silent generations are less likely to support maintaining benefits than the millennials and gen-xers.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option A: The first graph shows support for deficit reduction (light blue) is 43% (Millennial), 38% (Gen X), 31% (Boomer), 27% (Silent). Younger generations have higher support for deficit reduction than older ones, so A is incorrect.
2. Analyze Option B: The first graph shows support for maintaining benefits (dark blue) is 53% (Millennial), 56% (Gen X), 62% (Boomer), 64% (Silent). Boomer/Silent generations have higher support for maintaining benefits than Millennial/Gen X, so B is correct.
3. Analyze Option C: The second graph shows support for avoiding benefit cuts (dark blue) is 49% (Millennial), 61% (Gen X), 63% (Boomer), 62% (Silent). Boomer/Silent generations have equal or higher support than Gen X/Millennial, so C is incorrect.
4. Analyze Option D: Data from the first graph directly contradicts this, as Boomer/Silent have higher support for maintaining benefits, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. The Boomer and the Silent generations are more likely to support maintaining social security benefits than Millennials and Gen-Xers