LSAT 3 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q17

LR Question 17 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: A society’s infant mortality rate is an accepted indicator…

QUESTION TYPE: Strengthen

ANALYSIS: We are trying to support the idea that the decline in infant mortality does not necessarily mean that babies in the US are healthier at birth. We need to find an alternate explanation for the decline in infant deaths.

One explanation (and the correct answer) is that we are somehow better at saving unhealthy babies.

___________

1. The decline is an overall, nationwide trend; local variance is irrelevant. The bit about local areas in the stimulus is only filler info designed to point out that infant mortality is a serious problem in some areas.
2. This helps explain why infants die but it does not explain why a declining death rate does not mean babies are healthier at birth.
3. CORRECT. This shows that we can save even unhealthy babies at birth. Thus the infant mortality rate could decline even if babies are no healthier now.
4. That’s nice. In fact, the stimulus tells us that the infant mortality rate declined nationwide. This doesn’t add much.
5. This shows that those babies are unhealthy. But does this happen more or less than in the past? This doesn’t let us explain anything.

Recap: The question begins with “A society’s infant mortality rate is an accepted indicator”. It is a Strengthen question. Learn how to master LSAT Strengthen questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.