Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT117 S2 Q16 Explanation

Sociologist: Some economists hold that

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

TopicsMain Conclusion

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Stimulus

Sociologist: Some economists hold that unregulated markets should accompany democratic sovereignty because they let people vote with their money. But this view ignores the crucial distinction between the private consumer and the public citizen. In the marketplace the question is, “What do I want?” At the voting booth Hence, supporters of political democracy can also support marketplace regulation.

What this question is testing

Main Conclusion

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence gap.

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

The question
16.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn by

Answer choices

  1. Never Said11% picked this

    Voters think of themselves as members of a community, rather than

    The conclusion will be explicitly stated, and this was never said.

  2. Too Strong: incompatible22% picked this

    Unregulated markets are incompatible with democratic

    Our author is just saying that democracy doesn't have to be with unregulated markets. She isn't saying that democracy can't be with unregulated markets.

  3. Opponent's Position3% picked this

    Where there is democratic sovereignty there should be

    This is the position in the first sentence, which our author then rebuts.

  4. Never Said2% picked this

    Private consumers are primarily concerned with their

    This answer would appeal to someone who's looking for an Assumption or Inference. But we aren't trying to pull something hidden out of the text. We're putting big flashing arrows next to one of the argument's claims and saying, "THIS is the conclusion. THIS claim!"

  5. Correct61% picked this

    Opposition to unregulated markets is consistent with support

    Why this is right

    This is a meaning match for the final sentence, which was prefaced by the conclusion indicator "Hence". The last sentence was supported by everything after the word "But". They used inverted syntax to disguise the meaning match. Opposing to unregulated = Support for regulated

    Skill tested: Main Conclusion · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

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