LSAT 120 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q20

LR Question 20 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Investment banker: Democracies require free-market capitalist…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: Those who bemoan the anticapitalistic measures in question are being hasty.

REASONING: The transition from totalitarianism to democracy requires some anticapitalistic measures.

ANALYSIS: This argument only works if the countries in question were once totalitarian. If they weren’t, then the anticapitalistic measures are also antidemocratic, because democracy requires capitalism.

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1. It’s only necessary that some countries not have reached a state of complete democracy: those which are transitioning from totalitarianism.
2. By this logic, the most democratic society would be anarchy. The stimulus doesn’t go that far. As long as the economy is “free-market capitalist,” democracy will be possible.
3. We have no idea how common each form of government is. This is definitely not a necessary assumption.
4. This is an incorrect negation. A non-free market economy is incompatible with a democracy, but the reverse doesn’t have to be true.
5. CORRECT. If the countries in question were not totalitarian, then the argument is ruined. The investment banker’s evidence was only for former totalitarian countries.

Recap: The question begins with “Investment banker: Democracies require free-market capitalist”. It is a Necessary Assumption question. Learn more about LSAT Necessary questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.