Near-Earth objects (NEOs) such as asteroids threaten the Earth because they have the potential to collide with it. The goal of NEO research is to develop measures to counteract a possible hit by a sizable NEO. Government funding of this research is not a waste of money. Buying home insurance makes good fiscal sense, and governments fund NEO research for the same reason that people insure their homes. The statement that buying home insurance makes good fiscal sense plays which one of the following roles in the argument? ['It is a general principle for which the argument attempts to provide support.', "It connects an analogy made in the argument to the argument's conclusion.", 'It is the overall conclusion of the argument.', 'It provides a contrast to the situation that is the main focus of the argument.']