It is the argument's main conclusion and is inferred from two other statements in the argument, neither of which is used to support the other. It is a claim for which support is provided, and which is in turn used to support the argument's main conclusion. It is a claim for which no support is provided, and which is used to support a claim that is itself used to support the argument's main conclusion. It is a claim for which no support is provided, and which is used to support only the argument's main conclusion.
Politician: Democracy requires that there be no restrictions on the ability of citizens to share their ideas freely, without fear of reprisal. Ttherefore the right to have private conversations, unmonitored by the government, is essential to democracy. For a government to monitor conversations on the Internet would thus be a setback for democracy.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that democracy depends on the ability of citizens to share their ideas freely, without fear of reprisal?