LSAT 70, Logical Reasoning I, Q1

QUESTION TEXT: The television star Markus Hermann refuses to…

QUESTION TYPE: Sufficient Assumption

CONCLUSION: The Messenger won’t interview Hermann.

REASONING: The Messenger won’t do anything that its editors think would compromise its integrity. Hermann wants to approve the interview before publication.

ANALYSIS: This is a sufficient assumption questions, not a ‘complete the argument’ question. The questions asks you to prove the conclusion. The way to answer sufficient assumption questions is to arrange the evidence, find the gap, and add a new premise that lets you draw the conclusion.

H wants approval     [gap]          Editor believe compromise integrity ➞ Won’t do it

Just put an arrow where the gap is, and you’ll see that the missing statement is:

H approval ➞ Editor believe compromise integrity

___________

1. CORRECT. Hermann wants the right of approval. This answer shows that the editors think that would compromise the Messenger’s integrity. And the editors don’t do anything if they think it will compromise integrity.
2. The past doesn’t guarantee the future. Sure, the editors have never given approval before….but they might change their minds for Hermann.
3. This tells us that most TV stars are different from Hermann. So what? This answer doesn’t tell us that the editors will deny Hermann’s request.
4. We know exactly one reason that the editors will refuse to do something: if they believe that an action compromises their integrity, they won’t
   do it. It’s not clear that the editors believe substantial changes will compromise their integrity.
5. This explains why Hermann wants the right of approval. But it doesn’t prove that the editors will reject his request.

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