LSAT Explanation PT 29, S4, Q5: Political opinion and analysis outside the

LSAT Question Stem

The explanation offered by the author of the passage makes the assumption that 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Necessary Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's break down the argument in the passage:

Premise 1: Television stations are driven by the same economic forces as sellers of more tangible goods.

Premise 2: Television stations must attempt to capture the largest possible share of the audience for their shows, so they air only those shows that will appeal to large numbers of people.

Conclusion: Political opinions and analyses aired on television talk shows are typically bland and innocuous.

The argument claims that television stations air bland and innocuous political opinions and analyses because they want to capture the largest possible audience. To better understand this, let's use a simple example: imagine a store that sells ice cream. The store wants to attract as many customers as possible, so it offers the most popular flavors like vanilla and chocolate, which are considered "mainstream" and have a broad appeal. Similarly, television stations air political opinions and analyses that are mainstream and have a broad appeal.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Are bland and innocuous political opinions and analyses generally considered mainstream?"

Now, let's analyze the answer choices for this Necessary Assumption question:

A) This answer choice is not relevant to the argument. The argument is about the economic forces driving television stations, not the political agenda of the executives.

B) Correct answer. The argument assumes that bland and innocuous political opinions and analyses are generally in the mainstream. If this is not the case, then the argument falls apart, as the television stations' strategy of airing such opinions would not necessarily capture the largest audience.

C) This answer choice is not relevant to the argument. The focus is on the economic forces driving television stations, not the attitudes of political analysts outside the mainstream.

D) This answer choice is not relevant to the argument. The argument is about the economic forces driving television stations, not the views of television viewers on allowing the expression of political opinions and analyses they disagree with.

E) This answer choice is not relevant to the argument. The argument is about the economic forces driving television stations, not whether the political opinions of television station executives are reflected in the shows their stations produce.

In summary, the correct answer is B because the argument assumes that bland and innocuous political opinions and analyses are generally in the mainstream. If this assumption is false, the argument falls apart, as the television stations' strategy of airing such opinions would not necessarily capture the largest audience.