LSAT 128 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q4

LR Question 4 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Huang: Most people who commit violent crimes do not …

QUESTION TYPE: Point At Issue

ARGUMENTS: Huang argues that we should address the root causes of violence to reduce the rate of violent crime, instead of harsh mandatory sentences.

Suarez argues that mandatory sentences deter potential offenders and prevent violent crimes, drawing a comparison to nonviolent crimes like tax evasion.

ANALYSIS: They fundamentally disagree on the effectiveness of mandatory sentences in deterring violent crime.

Huang believes they’re not effective, while Suarez believes they are.

___________

1. Huang is in favor of this approach, but Suarez doesn’t directly challenge it. Their disagreement is more about deterrence than root causes.
2. Neither of them frame their argument in terms of deserving punishment. We have no indication that their support or opposition for harsh sentences relies on a belief of what criminals deserve.
3. Huang outright disagrees with this. Suarez does not explicitly say criminals consider punishment, but his belief in deterrence suggests he thinks punishment influences them. While this is a point of implicit disagreement, it’s ultimately too narrow.
4. CORRECT. This is their core disagreement. Huang rejects the idea that mandatory sentences deter violent crime, while Suarez believes they do.
5. Only Suarez mentions tax evasion, not Huang.