LSAT 115 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q23

LR Question 23 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Editorial: Given the law of supply and demand, maximum total…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: A country with a highly controlled economy is not acting in the way that is most likely to bring about maximum total utility.

REASONING: Only a free market economy can ensure maximum total utility, even if other systems can also produce it.

ANALYSIS: How likely is it that a country will have a free market economy? Some argue that no country has a true free market economy, not even the United States.

If so, then a free market economy might not be the most likely way to ensure maximum total utility, even if such an economy does “ensure” that outcome.

___________

1. The stimulus doesn’t make that assumption. It only claims that if a country is highly controlled, then it won’t have chosen the most likely way to maximize total utility.
2. The stimulus is not concerned with distribution of utility.
3. Actually, the stimulus does consider this: “other types of economies might be able to achieve it.”
4. CORRECT. Yes. Even though a free market economy will ensure max utility, other ways of achieving it may be more likely to occur.
5. The argument is narrowly concerned with the conditions for maximum total utility.

Recap: The question begins with “Editorial: Given the law of supply and demand, maximum total”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn how to master LSAT Flaw questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.