LSAT 150 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q24

LR Question 24 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Politician: Every regulation currently being proposed by…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: Each of the proposed regulations would help the economy.

REASONING: All of the proposed regulations will reduce the trade deficit, and the trade deficit is so large that it weakens the economy.

ANALYSIS: This looks good at first. The trade deficit is large, and that’s bad. So shrinking it is good. And these regulations shrink it, so they must be good.

But how good is good? We don’t know anything else about the regulations. Regulations can do multiple things. They could be awful for the economy overall, but happen to have this one good impact. This is a flaw in the argument.

___________

1. The author doesn’t take this for granted. Even if the trade deficit isn’t growing, it’s still helpful to reduce it.
2. The author doesn’t say this is the only way. They just claim that it is one way to do it.
3. The reasons for the regulations don’t matter for this argument, and nor does the committee’s authority. We are told that the regulations would shrink the trade deficit, and so we have to take that as true.
4. CORRECT. See analysis above.
5. The argument doesn’t assume that each regulation will reduce the deficit based on the whole set. We are specifically told that each individual regulation will reduce the deficit.

Recap: The question begins with “Politician: Every regulation currently being proposed by”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Flaw questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.