LSAT Explanation PT 25, S4, Q17: Concerned citizen:The mayor, an outspoken critic

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following most accurately characterizes a flaw in the concerned citizen's argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The concerned citizen acknowledges the mayor's point that restoring city hall would be expensive during a time of financial restraint. However, the citizen disagrees, arguing that preserving the city hall is important because it provides a link to the city's founding and is crucial for maintaining respect for the city government and its authority. The conclusion of the argument is that the mayor is wrong in asserting that restoring the city hall is unaffordable.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be, "Is the importance of preserving a sense of municipal history and respect for city government worth the cost of restoring the city hall?"

Now let's discuss the question type and answer choices. The question is a Flaw question, asking us to identify a flaw in the concerned citizen's argument. We need to find the answer choice that most accurately characterizes a flaw in the argument.

a) The argument is solely an emotional appeal to history.

This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not solely rely on emotion. While there are emotional undertones in the argument, the concerned citizen also provides reasons for preserving the city hall, such as its link to the city's founding and its importance for maintaining respect for the city government.

b) The argument ambiguously uses the word "afford."

This is the correct answer. The mayor uses the word "afford" in an economic sense, referring to the financial cost of restoring the city hall. In contrast, the concerned citizen uses "afford" in a different sense, referring to the potential consequences of not restoring the city hall. This ambiguous use of the word "afford" is a flaw in the argument.

c) The argument inappropriately appeals to the authority of the mayor.

This answer choice is incorrect because the concerned citizen does not rely on the mayor's authority to support their argument. Instead, the citizen challenges the mayor's view on the affordability of restoring the city hall.

d) The argument incorrectly presumes that the restoration would be expensive.

This answer choice is incorrect because the concerned citizen does not dispute the mayor's claim that the restoration would be expensive. The disagreement lies in whether the restoration is affordable, given its importance for preserving the city's history and respect for the government.

e) The argument inappropriately relies on the emotional connotations of words such as "outdated" and "luxury."

This answer choice is incorrect because the words "outdated" and "luxury" are part of the mayor's argument, not the concerned citizen's. The citizen's argument focuses on the importance of preserving the city hall for historical and respect-related reasons.

In summary, the correct answer is B, as the concerned citizen's argument ambiguously uses the word "afford" in a different sense than the mayor, creating a flaw in the argument.