GWD-29-Q8

Which
of the following, if true, provides evidence that most logically
completes the argument below?

According
to a widely held economic hypothesis, imposing strict environmental
regulations reduces economic growth.  This hypothesis is undermined
by the fact that the states with the strictest environmental
regulations also have the highest economic growth.  This fact does
not show that environmental regulations promote growth, however,
since ______.

1. 
                   those
       states with the strictest environmental regulations invest the most
       in education and job training

   
           

2. 
                   even
       those states that have only moderately strict environmental
       regulations have higher growth than those with the least-strict
       regulations

   
           

3. 
                   many
       states that are experiencing reduced economic growth are considering
       weakening their environmental regulations

   
           

4. 
                   after
       introducing stricter environmental regulations, many states
       experienced increased economic growth

   
           

5. 
                   even
       those states with very weak environmental regulations have
       experienced at least some growth