Something must be done to ease

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

TopicsMost Supported

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Stimulus

Something must be done to ease traffic congestion. In traditional small towns, people used to work and shop in the same town in which they lived; but now that stores and workplaces are located far away from residential areas, people cannot avoid traveling long distances each day. Traffic congestion is so heavy miles per hour, the actual speed averages only 35 miles per hour.

What this question is testing

Most Supported

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

Which one of the following proposals is most supported by the

Answer choices

No Impact8% picked this
The maximum speed limit on major highways should
We're told that, despite the 55mph speed limit, the actual speed is only 35mph. That makes it clear that the speed limit is not the source of the problem.
8%
No Impact7% picked this
People who now travel on major highways should be encouraged to travel on
We're told that all roads are congested. Yes, the highways were given as a particularly bad example, but the phrase "even on major highways" confirms that it's bad everywhere, smaller roads included. Switching traffic from one type of road to another will therefore only move the congestion, not solve it.
7%
Opposite (if anything)1% picked this
Residents of the remaining traditional small towns should be encouraged to move
We have no reason to believe that relocating people from small towns to the burbs will make anything better. If anything, it sounds like the problem we're trying to fix is in the burbs, and things were better in traditional small towns.
1%
No Impact3% picked this
Drivers who travel well below the maximum speed limit on major highways
We're told that, despite the 55mph speed limit, the actual speed is only 35mph because of the traffic. The slow speeds are an effect of the traffic, not the cause, so ticketing people for slow driving won't address the root cause of the problem.
3%
Correct81% picked this
New businesses should be encouraged to locate closer to where their
Why this is right
We solve problems by addressing their root causes. The root cause of the traffic problem is the distance between home, work and shopping. If we put more businesses closer to where the workers would live, that reduces the distance between home and work. This answer might not go as far as we'd like it to: it doesn't mention stores or shopping, it's only about new businesses, and they're not even being compelled to be close to worker housing, just "encouraged." Still, it's the only plan that addresses the root cause at all, so it's the best available answer.
Skill tested: Most Supported · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
81%

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