Logical Reasoning

PT130 · S3 · Q6 Elena: The best form of government

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

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Elena: The best form of government is one that fosters the belief among its citizens that they have a say in how the government is run.

Elena’s Conclusion

Democracy is the best form of government.

Elena’s Evidence

The best form is when the citizens believe that they have a say in how the government is run.

Marsha’s Response

In many forms of government, you can trick citizens into thinking they have a say even when they don’t.

Evaluation

If Elena is picking democracy based on this rule, Marsha is asking, ? She’s saying that based on Elena’s evidence, we wouldn’t be able to draw Elena’s conclusion, because you could equally draw the same conclusion about non-democracies.

Goal

Something like, .

6.

Marsha's claim that it is possible for governments to manipulate people into thinking that they have a say when they do not is used to

  1. concur with Elena's claim that

    Opposite

    If anything, Marsha’s claim suggests reason to doubt that democracy can be called the best, based on this rule.

    1% picked this

  2. support Marsha's unstated conclusion that

    Unsupported

    Unsupported: "best government is a fake-democratic one" We don’t have enough to go off to believe that Marsha is advocating that best form of government is one that pretends to be democratic. She is just objecting to Elena’s reasoning, since Elena’s basis for picking best applies to more than one form of government.

    2% picked this

  3. Correct

    suggest that the premise Elena

    Why this is right

    Since other forms of government would also qualify by Elena’s rule, one could draw a different conclusion about the best form of government using the same rule.

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

    80% picked this

  4. support Marsha's unstated conclusion that

    Unsupported

    Unsupported: “most people only want pretend democracy” We don’t know what Marsha’s conclusion would be. The safest guess is, “Thus, Elena, your premise does not entail your conclusion.” We have no support for the idea that Marsha is arguing that most people only want the appearance of democracy.

    3% picked this

  5. reject Elena's conclusion that the

    Too Strong: "Reject Elena's conclusion"

    This doesn’t go as far as B or D, but it has the same overreach into assuming anything about what Marsha thinks is the best form. I might agree with your position on, for example, universal health care, but still disagree with the argument you’re trying to make for it. Similarly, Marsha might agree that democracy is the best, but just not for the reason that Elena is offering. Disagreeing with someone’s reasoning does not show us whether you disagree with their conclusion.

    14% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free