LSAT 108 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q23

LR Question 23 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Commentator: A political constitution that provides …

QUESTION TYPE: Most Strongly Supported

FACTS:

1. Constitutions have to be interpreted to deal with new situations.
2. These interpretations actually reflect the beliefs of modern interpreters.
3. But they’re usually portrayed as reflecting the intentions of the constitution’s authors.
4. This fiction is vital because it preserves the illusion that laws come from a long tradition rather than from contemporary politicians’ preferences.
5. This illusion is necessary for political stability.

ANALYSIS: The key chain is No fiction → no illusion of long tradition → less political stability.

In plain English: Political stability depends on maintaining the illusion that laws come from a long tradition.

___________

1. This talks about whether laws express the intentions of current political leaders. The stimulus talks about whether laws are seen as expressing the intentions of the constitution’s authors. Different people.
2. CORRECT. This follows directly from the facts. If people stop believing the fiction, the illusion disappears and political stability is threatened.
3. This introduces a new idea. The stimulus never says people would become unstable merely because they notice a difference in beliefs. The issue is whether people continue believing the fiction that interpretations embody the authors’ intentions.
4. The stimulus never says that a written constitution itself preserves the illusion. The illusion is preserved by the fiction that constitutional interpretations reflect the authors’ intentions.
5. Way too specific. It introduces a perceived lack of a long legal tradition and dependence on present political leaders sharing the authors’ intentions. Neither idea appears in the stimulus.