LSAT Explanation PT 23, S3, Q22: Candidate: The government spends $500 million

LSAT Question Stem

The flawed reasoning in which one of the following arguments most closely parallels the flawed reasoning in the candidate's argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Parallel Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The question type for this problem is Parallel Flaw, which means we need to find an answer choice that contains the same flawed reasoning as the argument in the passage.

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage:

1. Government spends more money on highway safety than on antismoking programs (premise)

2. Smoking kills more people each year (premise)

Conclusion: Government would save lives by shifting funds from highway safety programs to antismoking programs.

The reasoning is flawed because it assumes that:

1. Spending more on antismoking would actually save lives, and

2. Shifting money away from highways would not lead to such an increase in highway deaths that it outweighs any lives saved from a better antismoking campaign.

Now, let's evaluate each answer choice:

a) This answer choice is incorrect because it does not correctly parallel the reasoning in the passage. To properly parallel the passage, premise 2 should state "Tollways accidents kill more people each year." Additionally, the conclusion should focus on shifting attention/resources to enforce the speed limit more closely on tollways instead of funds.

b) This is the correct answer choice. It parallels every part of the passage:

1. Musician spends more time on guitar than saxophone (premise)

2. Saxophone brings in more performances (premise)

Conclusion: Shifting time from guitar to saxophone would bring in more performances.

The flawed reasoning assumes that:

1. Spending more time on saxophone would actually have positive results

2. Spending less time on the guitar would not lead to such a decrease in guitar playing engagements that it outweighs any increase in saxophone playing engagements there might be.

c) This answer choice does not parallel the passage because it does not set up the situation as the passage does. To correctly parallel the passage, the argument should begin with "______ (somebody) drives on residential streets much more than on highways."

d) This answer choice is incorrect because it makes an extra assumption that if the lap times are better, then the swim team would win more swim meets, which the original passage did not make. To properly parallel the passage, the conclusion of (D) should state: "Therefore, swim team would have much better lap times by shifting practice time from backstroke to breaststroke."

e) This answer choice does not parallel the passage correctly. In order for the first line to parallel the passage properly, it should state that "The bank is currently offering more loans at high rates than low rates." The first line of the answer choice, as it is, does not parallel the passage correctly.

So, the correct answer choice is (B).