LSAT Explanation PT 29, S1, Q21: Editorial: The government claims that the

LSAT Question Stem

If all of the statements offered in support of the editorial's conclusion correctly describe the government's position, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of those statements? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be True question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the passage and break it down into simpler terms. The government claims that nuclear power plants are completely safe, and thus, the public's fear of nuclear accidents is groundless. However, the government also limits the nuclear industry's financial liability in case of nuclear accidents to protect the industry from bankruptcy. This action implies that there is a potential risk of nuclear accidents, which contradicts the government's claim about the safety of nuclear power plants. The editorial concludes that the public's fear is well-founded.

Now, let's identify the question type and what it's asking us to do. This is a Must Be True (MBT) question, which means we need to find the answer choice that must be true based on the given information in the passage.

Let's go through each answer choice:

a) The government's claim about the safety of the country's nuclear power plants is false.

- This answer choice is too extreme. We cannot conclude that the government's claim is false based on the information provided. The passage only shows that the government's actions contradict their claim, but it doesn't prove that the claim is false.

b) The government's position on nuclear power plants is inconsistent.

- This answer choice is correct. The passage presents two conflicting positions held by the government: the claim that nuclear power plants are safe and the action to limit the nuclear industry's financial liability, which implies a potential risk of nuclear accidents. This inconsistency must be true based on the given information.

c) The government misrepresented its reasons for acting to limit the nuclear industry's liability.

- This answer choice is incorrect because the passage does not provide evidence that the government misrepresented its reasons. The passage only shows that the government's actions contradict their claim about the safety of nuclear power plants.

d) Unlimited financial liability in the case of nuclear accidents poses no threat to the financial security of the country's nuclear industry.

- This answer choice is incorrect because the passage states that unlimited liability poses a threat to the nuclear industry's financial security if injury claims can be sustained against the industry.

e) The only serious threat posed by a nuclear accident would be to the financial security of the nuclear industry.

- This answer choice is incorrect because the passage does not provide information to support this claim. The passage only discusses the government's actions to limit the nuclear industry's financial liability and the public's fear of nuclear accidents.

In conclusion, the correct answer is B, as it accurately reflects the inconsistency in the government's position on nuclear power plants based on the information provided in the passage.