LSAT 124 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q16

LR Question 16 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Editorialist: Some people propose that, to raise revenues…

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken – Exception

CONCLUSION: We should not tax coal, gas and oil.

REASONING: Such taxes would do more harm than good. They would:

1. hurt competitiveness.
2. hurt families with high transport costs.
3. reduce energy production jobs.

ANALYSIS: The wrong answers will weaken his reasoning. The right answer will help it or do nothing to it.

___________

1. We know taxes raise revenue, and this shows that there would be no decrease in revenue from a slower economy. In fact the economy improves. The argument is weakened.
2. This shows that not only do the taxes encourage conservation, but that some people actually do conserve, thanks to the taxes. It’s not always clear that things will work as intended, so this weakens the argument.
3. CORRECT. This is to be expected, and it doesn’t weaken the argument.
4. This reduces the problems for families, weakening the argument.
5. This eliminates one of the editorialist’s objections.

Recap: The question begins with “Editorialist: Some people propose that, to raise revenues”. It is a Weaken question. Learn more about LSAT Weaken questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.