LSAT 109 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q17

LR Question 17 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Council member: The preservation of individual…

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox

PARADOX: The city council values property rights. Yet city zoning laws forbid property owners to do much more than cut their grass.

ANALYSIS: In paradox questions, you have to make the situation make sense. Here, the right answer choice explains that the city council’s restrictions on property rights prevent owners from harming others’ rights.

e.g. You might remodel your home without permission, and block the view from my window. Or you might cut down a tree, and remove shade from my lawn.

___________

1. The laws still seem restrictive, even if there are occasional exemptions. This doesn’t explain how the council’s laws protect property rights.
2. The council doesn’t seem to care about taxes. We only know they care about property rights. We care about the council, not the interests of property owners.
3. This may be true, but the council member told us that councillors do think property rights are very important.
4. CORRECT. This means that laws which restrict property rights might also protect property rights.
5. This doesn’t explain the paradox: we’re told that that councillors like property rights. They presumably want them to be extensive.

Recap: The question begins with “Council member: The preservation of individual”. It is a Paradox question. Learn how to master LSAT Paradox questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.