Question

passage 2
in the organization of work (1839), french socialist, politician and historian louis blanc blamed social problems on economic competition, which he said favors the rich at the expense of the poor and the middle class. english writer john stuart mill quoted the extracts below, in english translation in mill’s book socialism in 1879.

the organization of work
by louis blanc

competition is for the people a system of extermination. is the poor man a member of society, or an enemy to it? we ask for an answer.

all around him he finds the soil preoccupied. can he cultivate the earth for himself? no; for the right of the first occupant has become a right of property. can he gather the fruits

which sentence best states two central ideas that support blancs argument in passage 2?
private property limits poor people’s access to essential natural resources, and competition lowers their wages.
individuals who are willing to work can work for money, and contractors can decide how much to pay them.
middle class people make money by running small businesses, and poor people work for others for pay.
some political economists argue that competition is a good thing, and others believe that it harms most people.

Explanation:

To determine the best sentence, we analyze Blanc's argument. He blames social problems on economic competition (harming the poor/middle class) and notes issues with property rights (poor can't access resources). The first option states "Private property limits poor people’s access to essential natural resources, and competition lowers their wages" – this matches his points about property (soil preoccupied, right of property) and competition (system of extermination, harms poor) supporting his argument. Other options either describe neutral/work - related facts (second, third) or present differing economist views (fourth), not supporting Blanc's argument.

Answer:

Private property limits poor people's access to essential natural resources, and competition lowers their wages.