encouraging private enterprises to relocate to smaller towns or not incentivising them in order to keep government costs in those towns low.
More independence could be enjoyed by regulatory bodies located away from political centres.
The question asks to identify which reason is least likely to support the argument for decentralizing central government functions. Let's evaluate the given options against the provided comprehension text:
1. It reduces expenses as infrastructure costs and salaries are lower in smaller cities: The comprehension mentions that office space costs more in capitals and agencies can recruit better workers on lower salaries elsewhere, supporting this reason.
2. Policy makers may benefit from fresh thinking in a new environment: The text states that wonks in decentralized locations will be inspired by new ideas, substantiating this reason.
3. More independence could be enjoyed by regulatory bodies located away from political centres: Independence from lobbying and pressure in capitals is discussed in support of decentralization, validating this reason.
4. It could weaken the nexus between bureaucrats and media in the capital: While decentralization might affect the relationship between bureaucrats and media, weakening this nexus is not explicitly cited as a primary aim in the comprehension text.
Given the context, decentralization is supported by reasons like cost reduction, fresh ideas, and increased independence, while weakening the bureaucrat-media nexus receives minimal focus. Hence, the reason least likely cited is: It could weaken the nexus between bureaucrats and media in the capital.
The “long pedigree” of the aim to shift civil servants to improve their living standards implies that this move:
has become common practice in several countries worldwide.
The phrase "long pedigree" refers to something that has been established or practiced for a considerable length of time. In the context of the given comprehension, the discussion revolves around the attempts to shift civil servants as part of strategies to improve their living standards. This has historical references, such as post-World War II Britain when thousands of civil servants were moved to English country towns. The information highlights that similar strategies have been attempted in the past, indicating it is not a new concept. Therefore, the correct interpretation of the "long pedigree" in this context is that the idea of relocating civil servants to improve living standards is a notion with a history, having been tried previously. Thus, the correct option in this context is:
is not a new idea and has been tried in the past.
a rise in pollution levels and congestion in the new locations.
Read the sentence and infer the writer's tone: "The politician's speech was filled with lofty promises and little substance, a performance repeated every election season."
When $10^{100}$ is divided by 7, the remainder is ?