LSAT 122 – Section 1 – Question 20

LSAT 122 - Section 1 - Question 20

June 2006

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT122 S1 Q20
+LR
+Exp
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
4%
160
B
71%
164
C
3%
155
D
19%
158
E
3%
153
143
153
163
 +Harder 146.495 +SubsectionMedium

The people most likely to watch a televised debate between political candidates are the most committed members of the electorate and thus the most likely to have already made up their minds about whom to support. Furthermore, following a debate, uncommitted viewers are generally undecided about who won the debate. Hence, winning a televised debate does little to bolster one’s chances of winning an election.

A
watching an exciting debate makes people more likely to vote in an election
We don't know if the debate is exciting. Also, the people most likely to watch it are already committed voters. But even if it is exciting and causes more people to vote, (A) doesn't address the conclusion that winning it doesn't improve one’s chances of winning the election.
B
the voting behavior of people who do not watch a televised debate is influenced by reports about the debate
The author only addresses how televised debates affect viewers, saying that many are already committed to one candidate and the rest are unsure who won. But he fails to address how televised debates affect non-viewers. Their votes might be influenced by reports about the debate.
C
there are differences of opinion about what constitutes winning or losing a debate
The premises state that many viewers are already committed to one candidate or another; it makes sense that they’d be likely to disagree about who won the debate. But this doesn’t affect the conclusion that winning doesn’t impact one’s chance of winning the election.
D
people’s voting behavior may be influenced in unpredictable ways by comments made by the participants in a televised debate
Whether voting behavior is influenced in “unpredictable ways” by a debate doesn’t affect the conclusion that winning a debate doesn’t impact one’s chances of winning the election. Are these “unpredictable ways” positive or negative for the winner? We just don’t know.
E
people who are committed to a particular candidate will vote even if their candidate is perceived as having lost a televised debate
The author doesn’t fail to consider this. He explicitly says that, because many viewers are committed to a particular candidate, winning or not winning a debate doesn’t affect one’s chance of winning an election.

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LSAT PrepTest 122 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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