LSAT 4 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q8

LR Question 8 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Prominent business executives often play active roles…

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken

CONCLUSION: Business leaders rarely become president because business is hierarchical and politics is a game of compromise.

REASONING: Businessmen are used to the absolute control that comes with hierarchy.

ANALYSIS: Be careful whenever someone tells you they know the one and only reason for something. Most likely there is more than one reason why businessmen are rarely politicians.

___________

1. “Many” can be a very small number, perhaps 15%. This doesn’t tell us much of anything either way.
2. CORRECT. The military is very hierarchical. It stands to reason that military men aren’t used to compromise, just like businessmen. Yet they are often president. This weakens the conclusion’s attempt at explanation.
3. This is true…lawyers have to read legal cases, military leaders have to know about weapons. But what the devil does that have to do with how likely businessmen are to want to be politicians?
4. So? They weren’t businessmen before they went into politics. We’re trying to explain why businessmen don’t get into politics.
5. We already know businessmen are prominent supporters of politics. They just aren’t politicians themselves. This ads nothing.

Recap: The question begins with “Prominent business executives often play active roles”. It is a Weaken question. Learn more about LSAT Weaken questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.