LSAT Explanation PT 30, S2, Q21: The new agriculture bill will almost

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, adds the most support for the prediction that the agriculture bill will fail to pass? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The passage states that the new agriculture bill will almost surely fail to pass because the leaders of all major parties have stated that they oppose it. Here, we have one premise and one conclusion:

Premise: The leaders of all major parties oppose the new agriculture bill.

Conclusion: The new agriculture bill will almost surely fail to pass.

The question type is Strengthen, which means we are looking for an answer choice that adds the most support for the prediction that the agriculture bill will fail to pass.

Before we discuss the answer choices, let's come up with an "Evaluate" question for the argument. A good Evaluate question for this argument would be: "What is the historical relationship between major party leaders' support for bills and the bills' passage into law?"

Now, let's discuss each answer choice:

a) Most bills that have not been supported by even one leader of a major party have not been passed into law.

This answer choice strengthens the argument by providing historical evidence that when no major party leader supports a bill, it usually does not pass. This supports the prediction that the agriculture bill will fail to pass. This is the correct answer.

b) Most bills that have not been passed into law were not supported by even one member of a major party.

This answer choice might seem attractive, but it does not directly address the relationship between major party leaders' support and the passage of bills. It only tells us about the support of members, not leaders. This answer choice does not strengthen the argument as well as answer choice A.

c) If the leaders of all major parties endorse the new agriculture bill, it will pass into law.

This answer choice does not strengthen the argument because it addresses a hypothetical situation where the leaders endorse the bill, which is not the case in the passage. It does not provide any support for the prediction that the agriculture bill will fail to pass.

d) Most bills that have been passed into law were not unanimously supported by the leaders of all major parties.

This answer choice does not strengthen the argument because it focuses on bills that have been passed into law and their level of support among major party leaders. It does not provide any information about the relationship between the lack of support from major party leaders and the failure of bills to pass.

e) Most bills that have been passed into law were supported by at least one leader of a major party.

This answer choice might seem attractive, but it does not directly strengthen the argument. It tells us about the support of major party leaders for bills that have been passed, but it does not provide any information about the relationship between the lack of support from major party leaders and the failure of bills to pass.

In conclusion, the correct answer is A, as it directly strengthens the argument by providing historical evidence that when no major party leader supports a bill, it usually does not pass. This supports the prediction that the agriculture bill will fail to pass.