LSAT 34, Logical Reasoning I, Q2, LSATHacks

LR Question 2 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: Having an efficient, attractive subway system makes…

QUESTION TYPE: Sufficient Assumption

CONCLUSION: The city should buy new subway cars.

REASONING: It makes economic sense to have a good subway system. The city should always do what makes good economic sense.

ANALYSIS: The author hasn’t shown that the city needs new cars to have an efficient subway system. If we did need them to make the system efficient, then it would make economic sense to buy them. 

___________

1. This doesn’t tell us whether we need to invest in subway cars to invest in the subway system. Maybe we could build tunnels instead.
2. Careful: this doesn’t say “new” subway cars. It says cost-effective subway cars. Maybe we already have those and don’t need more.
3. This could just mean that new subway cars are less of a bad investment than buying some other things. It doesn’t actually say that buying them makes good economic sense.
4. Great! But does it make good economic sense to buy new subway cars? I can afford lots of inexpensive things that would be really, really stupid to buy. Mmm, imagine what I could do with 2,000 pez dispensers.
5. CORRECT. We need the cars to make the system effective. And an effective subway system makes good economic sense. And we should always do things that make good economic sense. 

Hi, I'm Graeme Blake

Founder of LSAThacks; I scored a 177 on the LSAT.

I created the LSAT Mastery Seminars, which are part of the Ultimate LSAT Prep Bundle

If you like the explanations you're reading I'm 100% confident you'll enjoy the courses. Satisfaction guaranteed.

---------
Updates:

For updates, sign up for my email list. I update whenever I have new posts.