Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/html/web/app/themes/studypress-core-theme/template-parts/header/mobile-offcanvas.php on line 20

Politician: From the time our party took office almost four years ago the number of people unemployed city-wide increased by less than 20 percent. The opposition party controlled city government during the four preceding years, and the number of unemployed city residents rose by over 20 percent. Thus, due to our leadership, fewer people now find themselves among the ranks of the unemployed, whatever the opposition may claim. The reasoning in the politician's argument is most vulnerable to the criticism that (A) the claims made by the opposition are simply dismissed without being specified (B) no evidence has been offered to show that any decline in unemployment over the past four years was uniform throughout all areas of the city (C) the issue of how much unemployment in the city is affected by seasonal fluctuations is ignored (D) the evidence cited in support of the conclusion actually provides more support for the denial of the conclusion (E) the possibility has not been addressed that any increase in the number of people employed is due to programs supported by the opposition party

Short Answer

Expert verified
The argument's evidence more directly supports denying its conclusion, making (D) the most relevant criticism.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Argument

The politician claims that since their party has taken office, the growth in unemployment has been less than 20%, while previously, under the opposition party's control, it was over 20%. Hence, they assert this proves better leadership and fewer unemployed individuals now.
02

Analyze Argument Vulnerabilities

The argument suggests a causal relationship between the party in power and unemployment rates. However, it lacks consideration of other factors that may influence unemployment, and it dismisses claims by the opposition without addressing them.
03

Evaluate the Options

Each option presented offers a potential flaw in the argument: (A) ignores the opposition's claims, (B) lacks evidence for uniform unemployment change, (C) ignores seasonal unemployment factors, (D) uses evidence that contradicts the conclusion, (E) neglects the possibility of opposition programs lowering unemployment.
04

Identify the Most Relevant Criticism

Option (D) suggests that the politician's evidence (smaller percentage increase) does not logically lead to the conclusion that there are fewer unemployed people now. In fact, a growth in unemployment, even if smaller, does not equate to fewer unemployed individuals overall.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning involves an individual's ability to analyze arguments and make judgments based on logic, rather than emotions or preconceived notions. It requires comprehending a situation, identifying relationships between factors, and deducing the most plausible conclusions. Logical reasoning is crucial in standardized tests like the LSAT because it assesses how well one can think critically under pressure.
In the exercise involving the politician's argument about unemployment, logical reasoning helps identify the weaknesses. The argument assumes a causal link between the party’s leadership and a reduced unemployment rate. However, the claim might overlook other contributing factors like global economic trends, local industry health, or different government policies. Logical reasoning helps debunk such assumptions and examines the logic of the argument as presented.
When preparing for the LSAT, practice dissecting arguments similarly. Look for underlying assumptions or overlooked scenarios that could affect the argument's validity. Developing this skill enhances your ability to think clearly and make well-supported conclusions.
Argument Analysis
Argument analysis involves breaking down an argument to examine its components, such as the claims, evidence, assumptions, and conclusions. This skill requires you to critically assess the validity and strength of each component within the argument.
In our exercise, the politician’s argument claims successful leadership due to lower unemployment growth under their governance. Argument analysis reveals potential vulnerabilities, such as:
  • The argument dismisses opposition claims without addressing them, indicating a lack of comprehensive evidence.
  • The evidence provided (i.e., statistical percentages) might not accurately reflect changes in the actual number of unemployed individuals.
  • The argument does not consider external factors, like seasonal employment changes or economic policies implemented by the opposition, influencing unemployment figures.
Through argument analysis, one might conclude that while the leadership might have had some impact, the argument isn't fully substantiated to claim sole responsibility for the observed unemployment figures. To enhance your LSAT preparation, practice decomposing arguments into their basic components and evaluate them critically to spot strengths and weaknesses.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the process of actively conceptualizing, analyzing, and evaluating information to reach a conclusion. It's about not taking arguments at face value and involves questioning assumptions, assessing sources, and gauging the validity of claims.
Applying critical thinking to the politician's statement allows for a deeper analysis of his claims. It makes you consider questions like, _"What other factors could affect unemployment rates?"_ or _"Is the percentage increase truly reflective of improved leadership?"_ Critical thinking might lead one to recognize that a smaller unemployment growth rate does not inherently mean fewer unemployed individuals overall, especially without more context or concrete numbers.
For the LSAT, building critical thinking skills helps in tackling complex logical reasoning problems. To develop these skills, engage in activities such as discussing real-world issues, participating in debates, and practicing exercises that require rigorous analysis. These activities enhance the ability to process information from multiple perspectives, an invaluable skill for aspiring law students and beyond.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

It might seem that an airline could increase profits by reducing airfares on all its flights in order to encourage discretionary travel and thus fill planes. Offers of across-the-board discount fares have, indeed, resulted in the sale of large numbers of reduced-price tickets. Nevertheless such offers have, in the past, actually cut the airline's profits. Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above? (A) Fewer than 10 percent of all air travelers make no attempt to seek out discount fares. (B) Fares for trips between a large city and a small city are higher than those for trips between two large cities even when the distances involved are the same. (C) Across-the-board discounts in fares tend to decrease revenues on flights that are normally filled, but they fail to attract passengers to unpopular flights. (D) Only a small number of people who have never before traveled by air are persuaded to do so on the basis of across-the-board discount fares. (E) It is difficult to devise an advertising campaign that makes the public aware of across-the-board discount fares while fully explaining the restrictions applied to those discount fares.

Some people take their moral cues from governmental codes of law; for them, it is inconceivable that something that is legally permissible could be immoral. Those whose view is described above hold inconsistent beliefs if they also believe that (A) law does not cover all circumstances in which one person morally wrongs another (B) a legally impermissible action is never morally excusable (C) governmental officials sometimes behave illegally (D) the moral consensus of a society is expressed in its laws (E) some governmental regulations are so detailed that they are burdensome to the economy 17\. Certain instruments used in veterinary surgery can be made either of stainless steel or of nylon. In a study of such instruments, 50 complete sterilizations of a set of nylon instruments required \(3.4\) times the amount of energy used to manufacture that set of instruments, whereas 50 complete sterilizations of a set of stainless steel instruments required \(2.1\) times the amount of energy required to manufacture that set of instruments. If the statements above are true, each of the following could be true EXCEPT: (A) The 50 complete sterilizations of the nylon instruments used more energy than did the 50 complete sterilizations of the stainless steel instruments. (B) More energy was required for each complete sterilization of the nylon instruments than was required to manufacture the nylon instruments. (C) More nylon instruments than stainless steel instruments were sterilized in the study. (D) More energy was used to produce the stainless steel instruments than was used to produce the nylon instruments. (E) The total cost of 50 complete sterilizations of the stainless steel instruments was greater than the cost of manufacturing the stainless steel instruments.

Journalist: Can you give me a summary of the novel you are working on? Novelist: Well, I assume that by "summary" you mean something brief and not a version of the novel itself. The reason I write novels is that what I want to communicate can be communicated only in the form of a novel. So I am afraid I cannot summarize my novel for you in a way that would tell you what I am trying to communicate with this novel. Which one of the following exhibits a pattern of reasoning that is most parallel to that used by the novelist? (A) Only if a drawing can be used as a guide by the builder can it be considered a blueprint. This drawing of the proposed building can be used as a guide by the builder, so it can be considered a blueprint. (B) Only a statement that does not divulge company secrets can be used as a press release. This statement does not divulge company secrets, but it is uninformative and therefore cannot be used as a press release. (C) Watching a travelog is not the same as traveling. But a travelog confers some of the benefits of travel without the hardships of travel. So many people just watch travelogs and do not undergo the hardships of travel. (D) Only a three-dimensional representation of a landscape can convey the experience of being in that landscape. A photograph taken with a traditional camera is not three-dimensional. Therefore a photograph taken with a traditional camera can never convey the experience of being in a landscape. (E) A banquet menu foretells the content of a meal, but some people collect menus in order to remind themselves of great meals they have eaten. Thus a banquet menu has a function not only before, but also after, a meal has been served.

Lucien's argument against the public-housing advocates' position is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? (A) It offers no justification for dismissing as absurd the housing advocates' claim that there are many homeless people in the city. (B) It treats information acquired through informal conversations as though it provided evidence as strong as information acquired on the basis of controlled scientific studies. (C) It responds to a claim in which "available" is used in the sense of "affordable" by using "available" in the sense of "not occupied." (D) It overlooks the possibility that not all apartment buildings have vacant apartments for rent. (E) It fails to address the issue, raised by the public-housing advocates' argument, of who would pay for the construction of more low-income housing.

Tall children can generally reach high shelves easily. Short children can generally reach high shelves only with difficulty. It is known that short children are more likely than are tall children to become short adults. Therefore, if short children are taught to reach high shelves easily, the proportion of them who become short adults will decrease. A reasoning error in the argument is that the argument (A) attributes a characteristic of an individual member of a group to the group as a whole (B) presupposes that which is to be proved (C) refutes a generalization by means of an exceptional case (D) assumes a causal relationship where only a correlation has been indicated (E) takes lack of evidence for the existence of a state of affairs as evidence that there can be no such state of affairs

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on English Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free