Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT3 S4 Q3 Explanation

If the city council maintains spending

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

TopicsParallel

Keep going in LSAT Lab

  • 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

Free to start

Full official LSAT questions are available through LawHub. This page provides LSAT Lab's explanation, strategy, and review tools without republishing the full official question.

Stimulus

If the city council maintains spending at the same level as this year’s, it can be expected to levy a sales tax of 2 percent next year. Thus, if the council levies a the council is increasing its expenditures.

What this question is testing

Parallel

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
3.

Which one of the following exhibits a pattern of reasoning most closely similar to that of

Answer choices

  1. Trap8% picked this

    If house-building costs are not now rising, builders cannot be expected to increase the prices of houses. Thus, if they decrease the prices of

  2. Trap5% picked this

    If shops wish to reduce shoplifting, they should employ more store detectives. Thus, if shops do not, they will suffer reduced profits because

  3. Correct79% picked this

    If the companies in the state do not increase their workers’ wages this year, the prices they charge for their goods can be expected

    Why this is right

    Answer C is correct.

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

  4. Trap4% picked this

    If airlines wish to make profits this year that are similar to last year’s, they should not increase their prices this year. Thus, if

  5. Trap4% picked this

    If newspaper publishers wish to publish good papers, they should employ good journalists. Thus, if they employ poor journalists, it will not be surprising

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