LSAT 159 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q11

LR Question 11 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Ross: Many governments have attempted to regulate …

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken

CONCLUSION: The government can control theater and satisfy the public by making dramatists honored government employees.

REASONING:

• People desire theater.
• Dramatists criticize harsh authorities.
• But dramatists will not criticize a government where they’re an honored employee.

ANALYSIS: The conclusion claims that making dramatists employees will have two outcomes:

1. Control theater so there’s no criticism
2. Public satisfaction

To weaken this, we can show that either or both of these things will not happen. So a good answer will show that making dramatists government employees doesn’t actually stop their criticism, and/or that doing so won’t satisfy the public.

___________

1. The high cost doesn’t prove that the strategy is ineffective. What if a government was willing to shoulder the cost?
    
   The LSAT strictly separates questions such as “would this work, IF we did it” vs. “Can we afford to do this?”
2. Ross never claims that theater overthrows government so this is irrelevant. Theater may be subversive, but that isn’t the same thing as directly overthrowing a government.
    
   For example, a spy can be subversive by spreading propaganda, which makes people discontent, and then those people overthrow the government.
3. This answer is wrong because it isn’t talking about what the argument was talking about.
   Ross’s strategy was for government to employ dramatists in order to prevent them from criticizing governments. To weaken that we could show that some government-employed dramatists still criticize the government.
    
   This answer doesn’t do that! It says some dramatists who are not treated harshly will criticize governments. There is a big difference between giving someone a job vs. not treating them harshly. This answer doesn’t say anything about the government employing dramatists.
4. Even if most plays are neutral, Ross’ argument is about preventing the ones that are critical.
5. CORRECT. If the public generally dislikes plays written or performed by government employees, then Ross’ strategy fails to satisfy the public. That defeats one of the two outcomes that he claims, so it’s not an effective strategy.