LSAT 8 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q23

LR Question 23 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Mayor Smith, one of our few government officials with…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: There is good reason to believe that the nuclear power plant is safe and should be built.

REASONING: Mayor Smith once opposed nuclear power plant construction. Now she favors this particular power plant.

ANALYSIS: We don’t know why Mayor Smith had her opinions. We have no information to let us decide if she was correct in the past or if she is correct now.

Just because someone contradicts themselves we shouldn’t be quick to listen to them. We need to know their reasons.

___________

1. Huh? The stimulus only refers to Mayor Smith. Its entire evidence is Mayor Smith. Mayor Smith did speak out about nuclear power. This answer choice has nothing to do with anything.
2. The stimulus hasn’t argued that everyone elected to public office has a good opinion on this issue. It only argued that Mayor Smith has a good opinion. The stimulus also didn’t claim that mayor Smith had a mastery of the technical details.
3. The stimulus didn’t claim that Mayor Smith’s opposition was an informed opposition. Presumably it wasn’t since Mayor Smith’s current position may contradict her former position.
4. No, it only leads to the conclusion that any nuclear project should have good reasons to be pursued if Mayor Smith supports it.
5. CORRECT. Yes. Perhaps Mayor Smith supports this particular nuclear power plant because she has been bribed.

Recap: The question begins with “Mayor Smith, one of our few government officials with”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn how to master LSAT Flaw questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.