Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT156 S2 Q12 ExplanationPolitician: Tightening air quality standards

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

TopicsPrinciple-Strengthen

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Stimulus

Politician: Tightening air quality standards that regulate industrial emissions would cause industries to move to locations with less stringent standards concerning these emissions. So current standards, which are already quite stringent, should not be raised, since there is not enough evidence that the decreased pollution that would admittedly result of jobs caused by the relocation of key industries.

What this question is testing

Principle-Strengthen

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
12.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify

Answer choices, explained

  1. Trap3% picked this

    Governmental policy should generally be designed to encourage the growth of

    Bad Conclusion Match: policy should be designed to encourage

  2. Bad Conclusion Match1% picked this

    The extent to which the people are willing to accept a governmental policy should be the only factor determining

    Bad Conclusion Match: should be the only factor

  3. Correct89% picked this

    Governmental policy should be altered only if there is compelling evidence that the consequences of doing so are better than the

    Why this is right

    Answer C is correct.

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

  4. Bad Evidence Match1% picked this

    Governmental policy should be changed in those cases in which retaining the policy and changing it each have

    Bad Evidence Match: positive and negative consequences

  5. Trap7% picked this

    If one lacks clear evidence about whether a given action will have a specified consequence, then one should assume that it will have that

    Bad Conclusion Match: should assume it will have that consequence

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