LSAT 11 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q5

LR Question 5 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to …

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: The compulsory service program shouldn’t be implemented.

REASONING: Mandatory service is only justified when the nation’s existence is directly threatened. This proposal is because of education and housing issues.

ANALYSIS: Sometimes the necessary assumption appears redundant as a restatement, but it does need to be justified. In this case, the assumption is that problems like education and housing are not a direct threat to the nation’s existence.

Because if they were a direct threat, then mandatory service would be justified in this case and the argument would make no sense.

___________

1. The argument isn’t about how effective the program is, it’s about whether such service is justified at all. Even if the program is partly effective, the author would still object on principle.
   Negation: Government-required service by young people can correct all social ills.
2. Too specific. The argument doesn’t define what qualifies as a direct threat, nor does it limit it to foreign attacks. The author may allow for other types of threats (e.g. pandemics, natural disasters). We don’t know.
   Negation: The nation’s existence is directly threatened in situations other than foreign attack.
3. This is the opposite of what the argument assumes. If this were true, then the program would be justified, and the author’s objection would collapse.
   Negation: Crises in education and housing do not constitute a threat to the nation’s existence.
4. This is about what young people believe, but the argument is based on what actually constitutes a threat. Perception doesn’t matter.
   Negation: The nation’s young people believe that current social ills do pose a direct threat.
5. CORRECT. If none of the social ills being addressed pose a direct threat, then mandatory service is not justified. This assumption must be true for the argument to hold.
   Negation: All of the social ills that currently afflict the nation pose a direct threat.