GRE issue essay is the part of the GRE exam which is designed in a way to analyze the writing and thinking capabilities of the candidate. The candidate needs to first analyze the topic and put forward the argument either in favor or against the notion. Candidates must be able to compose an essay that is well-structured and organized, with distinct ideas and arguments. Candidates need to determine if the given argument is logical and further evaluate the argument by choosing a side. The Surest Indicator of a Great Nation is Represented Not by the Achievements of its Rulers, Artists, or Scientists, but by the General Welfare of its People GRE Issue Essay model answer is given below.

Candidates can consider the following structure to the GRE Issue Essay divided into five paragraphs:

Introduction: Candidates need to first state the issue assigned to them followed by stating the position that the essay would undertake. Further, candidates can consider providing specific reasons and examples the GRE AWA essay would focus on.
Body Paragraph 1: The strongest reason needs to be started first with supporting examples and logical analysis. This paragraph with reasons should fully support the thesis and be relevant to the topic.
Body Paragraph 2: The second supporting reason should be stated with supporting examples and logical analysis.
Final Paragraph: This paragraph should bring up the counterargument presented as the topic of the GRE Analyse an Issue essay. With the help of a third example and reason, candidates need to show that their perspective is correct and the counterargument is wrong.
Conclusion: The conclusion should remind the reader about the topic of the Issue Essay and state the reasons and examples that prove the candidates’ views to be correct. A summary of the entire essay can be given here.

While following the structure the candidate should also take into consideration the following points. These points will help in constructing a better essay on the topic:

• Choose your side: In the introductory paragraph, the candidate will reveal whether they are in favor of the statement or against it. So, throughout the essay, the candidate has to stick to the preferred side. Also, do not make ambiguous statements, i.e., supporting both sides and creating confusion.
• Give relevant reasons and examples: All the reasons and examples that the candidate will be covered should be relevant to real-life circumstances. It is better to throw away imaginative power and work around real-life patterns. Also, do not get distracted away from the topic while writing an essay.
• Giving strong statements: All the ideas and suggestions should be strong enough to support your idea. Try to present arguments in active voice and avoid using passive voice. The arguments should be presented in a cause-effect relationship. The flow of the essay should not be broken and it must move on with continuity.
• Make strong opposing points: In the essay, it is required to refute the other side. If you are in favor of the topic then make strong statements refuting the other side, i.e., against the topic.

Read More GRE Issue Samples

Topic: The surest indicator of a great nation is represented not by the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but by the general welfare of its people.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

Model Answer

The surest indicator of the greatness of a nation is also depicted by the general welfare of its people instead of the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists. I truly believe that one of the major factors towards a nation’s progress is the strong sense of patriotism shared by its people. And people only feel so connected to their motherland when they have been well taken care of by the motherland for their general welfare.

It has been seen in numerous scientific studies that a population of any species functions maximally when it has been provided with all the basic requirements of life. Although these experiments have been done on microorganisms, the results apply to the human population as well. A wonderful example of this is the Indus Valley civilization which is considered one of the most advanced civilizations to have existed by historians. The reason behind their success is because they had settled in the valley next to the Indus River hence they had excellent water availability and fertile lands. They also happened to have excellent healthcare facilities and modern hygiene and sanitation infrastructure. Because of this, their civilization greatly prospered such that some of their accomplishments are still unimaginable to modern man.

If a nation is poor and is unable to take care of its people, the majority of the people will spend most of their life trying to meet ends to survive each day. When a person's main goal in life is to just survive somehow, how will they ever reach a stage where they can unlock their talents and do great things. This fact becomes extremely important when it comes to the youth of a nation that is extremely volatile to bad influence. When a nation is struggling in terms of both finance and governance, that struggle is also visible in its people. A bad government with leaders who do not care about their people gives birth to rebellion and terrorism. On top of it, it will also have to deal with other problems such as poverty, unemployment, increasing crime rates, etc. Hence proving my point again that the development and progress of a nation are directly proportional to the health and happiness of its people.

Yes, surely the great rulers, artists, and scientists represent the nation and bring great fame and name to it. But if the majority of the population is taken good care of, then the number of accomplished people in different fields will increase exponentially. This point is proven excellently by the Greek and Egyptian civilizations that produced a plethora of accomplished people in various fields. The Greek scientists were so extraordinary that Aristotle is considered the 'Father of Biology'. Another example of this in the modern world is the United States of America. Majority of people all over the globe desire to go and settle there due to the excellent standard of living provided there. Due to such a high number of immigrants coming to America, this nation has been able to progress so much so fast.

A nation and its success cannot be separated from the people of that nation. This becomes even more evident when we realize how tightly the success of one person is linked to that of the entire nation. The better the facilities provided by a country to its people are, the more will be the opportunities given to its people to succeed in life. And the more they succeed in life, the more they will be giving back to the nation. Evaluating a nation based on the number of great people it has produced is a very superficial way of doing so. The very core of a nation is formed by its people, hence it is only valid that a nation's success is evaluated by the general welfare of its people