Logical Reasoning

PT8 · S1 · Q2 Between 1971 and 1975, the

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Between 1971 and 1975, the government office that monitors drug companies issued an average of 60 citations a year for serious violations of drug-promotion laws.

Conclusion (this indicates that)

The government office was considerably more lax in enforcing drug-promotion laws between 1976 and 1980 than it was between 1971 and 1975.

Evidence

Between 1971 and 1975, the government office issued an average of 60 citations a year for serious violations of drug-promotion laws.

Between 1976 and 1980, the annual average for issuance of such citations was only 5.

Evaluate

The argument presents a statistical change, a significant decrease in the average number of citations issued annually, and concludes that this indicates the government office was more lax in enforcing laws during the second period.

Curious Fact

Why did the number of citations decrease from 60 to 5 per year?

Author's Explanation

The government office became more lax in enforcing drug-promotion laws.

The argument assumes there were no other factors impacting the number of citations issued, except for a change in laxity. This opens up room for Alternate Explanations. For instance, maybe the number of violations actually decreased, which would account for the reduction in citations. Or perhaps the standards for what constituted a "serious violation" became stricter, resulting in fewer issued citations. The author needs to assume such factors are not the reason behind the reduced citations.

Goal

We should look for an answer that either rules out an Alternate Explanation for the drop in citations (such as a decrease in actual violations) or something needed for the author's explanation of increased laxity to be plausible.

The argument assumes which one of the following?

Correct
The decrease in the number
Why this is right
This is ruling out an Alternate Explanation by stating that the decrease in citations was not due to a decrease in violations. If we negate (A), suggesting violations did decrease, it weakens the argument by allowing us to argue "the decrease wasn't because they were more lax, it's because there were just fewer bad behaviors to cite."
Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
89% picked this
A change in enforcement of
Out of Scope: minor violations
Answer (B) talks about minor violations, which are not discussed in the context of the serious violations related to the conclusion. The argument's evidence and conclusion revolve around serious violations, so minor violations are outside the scope.
5% picked this
The enforcement of drug-promotion laws
Irrelevant Causality: political pressure
This goes beyond the conclusion. The author is just trying to convince us that there HAS been a change in enforcement style (it's more lax now). She doesn't need to assume anything about what caused that change. Her case only hinges on whether they've changed, not whether the change was caused by X vs. Y vs. Z.
3% picked this
The government office should not
Out of Scope: should
Answer (D) suggests a normative claim about the number of citations. However, the conclusion is descriptive, comparing the past enforcement with later enforcement, not prescribing what enforcement should be.
1% picked this
Before 1971 the government office
Out of Scope: before 1971
Answer (E) discusses the number of citations issued before 1971, which is outside the time frame and scope mentioned in the argument. The conclusion does not rely on this information or any historical context before 1971.
1% picked this

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