Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT127 S1 Q6 Explanation

Violent crime in this town

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

TopicsWeaken

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Stimulus

Violent crime in this town is becoming a serious problem. Compared to last year, local law enforcement agencies have responded to 17 percent more calls involving violent crimes, showing that the average citizen of this town become a victim of a violent crime.

What this question is testing

Weaken

Your task

Find the choice that makes the argument's conclusion less likely to be true.

Common trap

Answers that look negative but attack a claim the argument never relied on.

Winning move

Find the assumption the argument depends on, then pick the choice that undermines it.

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

The question
6.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens

Answer choices

  1. Strengthens3% picked this

    The town’s overall crime rate appears to have risen slightly this year compared to the

    This states that the overall crime rate has risen, which aligns with the idea that violent crime (part of overall crime) has also risen, supporting the author’s conclusion.

  2. No Impact3% picked this

    In general, persons under the age of 65 are less likely to be victims of violent crimes than persons

    This discusses the likelihood of violent crime victimization by age group, which doesn't directly address the overall likelihood of violent crimes occurring or the reasoning behind increased call volume.

  3. Correct84% picked this

    As a result of the town’s community outreach programs, more people than ever are willing to report violent

    Why this is right

    This asserts that more people are willing to report violent crimes due to community outreach programs, providing an alternate explanation for the increase in call volume that does not indicate an actual increase in crime rates or risk per citizen. LSAT loves to test the idea that "a greater awareness of a problem doesn't necessarily mean there's a higher incidence of the problem".

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

  4. Strengthens (if anything)1% picked this

    In response to worries about violent crime, the town has recently opened a community center providing

    This mentions a community center providing activities, potentially aiming to reduce crime. However, it indirectly acknowledges worries about crime, which may inadvertently support the author's concern about increased incidents.

  5. No Impact9% picked this

    Community officials have shown that a relatively small number of repeat offenders commit the majority of violent

    This notes that a small number of repeat offenders commit most violent crimes, which doesn’t directly impact the argument’s conclusion about increased call volume and citizen risk, focusing instead on criminal dynamics.

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