The term 'agency' with respect to the government refers to the

Question

Option 1: ability of individual citizens to import and export on behalf of the government.

Option 2: mercantile belief that the government controlled all commerce.

Option 3: government's ability to exert power and organise resources within its territory.

Option 4: department responsible for calculation and collection of taxes.

AfterBoards · Accepted Answer

From passage: "This geographical confinement gave the government immense agency. They could tax with 100% efficiency because they knew exactly how much land was fertile each year."

Thought Process Breakdown: The question asks what "agency" means for the government. -> In this context, agency means power/capacity to act. -> The government could control transport and communication. -> It could observe land and tax efficiently. So, agency means the government's ability to exercise power and organise resources. Option 1 is about citizens, not the government. Option 2 is too specific and uses "mercantile", which is not the point. Option 4 sounds like a department, but "agency" here is not an office. Option 3 gives the correct meaning.

Option Analysis: 🔴 Option 1 -> Wrong Subject -> The passage is about government power, not citizens acting for it. 🟠 Option 2 -> Too Narrow -> Commerce control may be related, but it misses the broader meaning. 🟢 Option 3 -> Correct -> Agency means the government's ability to exert power and organise resources. 🔴 Option 4 -> Wrong Meaning -> "Agency" here does not mean a department.

IPMAT Indore (VA) PYQs

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