LSAT 4 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q11

LR Question 11 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Current legislation that requires designated sections…

QUESTION TYPE: Sufficient Assumption

CONCLUSION: Legislation designating non-smoking areas on privately held property cannot be justified.

REASONING: Though non-smokers may be harmed by smoke that is not the main issue. The main issue is that property owners will not be able to set their own policies on their property.

ANALYSIS: Telling us that something is “the main issue” isn’t sufficient to prove the conclusion. We also have to know that other issues are sufficiently unimportant that we can ignore them.

___________

1. This doesn’t help because this is indeed a situation where individuals might be harmed.
2. This weakens the conclusion. We must show that the rights of property owners supersede the rights of individuals to breathe clean air.
3. CORRECT. Yes. If the rights of property owners are more important than any duty to the individual then there is no justification for imposing restrictions on property owners.
4. That doesn’t mean the government is justified in telling employers how to protect employees.
5. The argument is not advocating compromise. It recommends that the government leave business alone.

Recap: The question begins with “Current legislation that requires designated sections”. It is a Sufficient Assumption question. Learn how to master LSAT Sufficient questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.