Historian: Political regimes

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsNecessary Assumption

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Stimulus

Historian: Political regimes that routinely censor various forms of expression on the grounds that they undermine public morality inevitably attempt to expand the categories of proscribed expression to include criticisms that these regimes perceive to threaten their power. Accordingly, many totalitarian regimes that would, if widely influential, reduce public passivity.

What this question is testing

Necessary Assumption

Your task

Find the assumption the argument requires in order for its conclusion to hold.

Common trap

Answers that would help the argument but aren't strictly required (sufficient, not necessary).

Winning move

Negate each choice — the right one breaks the argument when negated.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question

13.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the historian’s

Answer choices

Trap1% picked this
Unless a piece of writing expresses something that is widely believed, it is unlikely to
1%
Trap3% picked this
Not all political regimes that routinely censor forms of expression on the grounds that they erode public
3%
Correct80% picked this
A totalitarian regime can perceive loss of public passivity as a threat
Why this is right
Answer C is correct.
Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
80%
Trap11% picked this
Widespread public passivity is usually needed for a regime to retain
11%
Trap6% picked this
Most writings that totalitarian regimes label blasphemous or pornographic would, if widely influential,
6%

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