LSAT 76, Logical Reasoning I, Q7, LSATHacks

LR Question 7 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: Economist: Owing to global economic forces since 1945…

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox (Strengthen)

CONCLUSION: Our country does less international trade.

REASONING: Our country produces less manufacturing and more services.

ANALYSIS: The stem for this question is “paradox/most helps to explain”. However, structurally this is more like a strengthen question: we must strengthen the economist’s conclusion that more services causes less trade.

The right answer gives a reason that services lead to less trade. The wrong answers often state similarities between services and manufacturing, which can’t help.

___________

1. This shows a similarity between services and manufacturing. That can’t help explain the difference.
2. Same as A. We’re looking for a difference between manufacturing and services.
3. CORRECT. This shows that services tend not to be traded. So if the economy switches to services, then this is a reason that trade would drop.
4. This explains why we have fewer manufacturing jobs, but it doesn’t say whether services will lead to less trade.
5. “Some” is an incredibly weak statement. You must take “some” at it’s weakest for strengthen, weaken and paradox questions. Read this answer as “one service is cheaper abroad, and all the rest aren’t”. Who cares, right?

Hi, I'm Graeme Blake

Founder of LSAThacks; I scored a 177 on the LSAT.

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