Explanation
Correct answer: A.
Choice A is the best answer. We’re told that people needed to pay “at least 300 francs in direct taxes” to be able to vote. We’re also told that, while “relatively few people paid the tax on real estate,” real estate taxes were both the main way people qualified to vote and the main source of revenue for the government. Based on this, we can infer that those who did qualify to vote likely had significant French real estate holdings.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect. The passage doesn’t mention the voting habits of artisans and merchants nor any reduction in tax burdens on businesses, so there’s no basis for this inference.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. Although we know that doors and windows were taxed during the Bourbon Restoration, we don’t have enough information to infer if doors and windows increased after this time.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect. Although we know that foreign investments were only minimally taxed, we don’t have enough information to determine if those with significant foreign investments were unlikely to have voting rights. For example, it’s possible that those with significant foreign investments were likely to also be people with significant domestic investments which they did pay taxes on, so we don’t have the information necessary to make this inference.