LSAT Explanation PT 37, S4, Q12: Pundit: People complain about how ineffectual

LSAT Question Stem

The pundit's argument is flawed because it takes for granted that 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw 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 pundit claims that people complain about the ineffectuality of their legislative representatives, but this ineffectuality is a result of the compromises these representatives must make when competing for scarce government funds. The pundit concludes that when people express dissatisfaction with their representatives, it's because the representatives are doing what they were elected to do.

The structure of the argument is as follows:

Premise: People complain about the ineffectuality of their legislative representatives.

Premise: This ineffectuality is due to the compromises made when competing for scarce government funds.

Conclusion: When people express dissatisfaction with their legislative representatives, it's because the representatives are doing what they were elected to do.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Are there other sources of popular dissatisfaction with legislative representatives besides their apparent ineffectuality?"

Now, let's discuss the answer choices. This is a Flaw question, which asks us to identify the flaw in the pundit's argument.

a) The correct answer is A. The pundit's argument assumes that the apparent ineffectuality of legislative representatives is the only source of popular dissatisfaction with those representatives. If there are other sources of dissatisfaction, then the conclusion that dissatisfaction is solely due to representatives doing what they were elected to do is not valid.

b) Answer choice B is incorrect because it's not relevant to the argument. The argument doesn't assume anything about the abundance of governmental resources being dependent on the actions of politicians.

c) Answer choice C is incorrect because it's not necessary for the argument to work. The argument doesn't assume that constituents would continue to be dissatisfied if they were aware of the cause of the apparent ineffectuality.

d) Answer choice D is incorrect because it's not an assumption the pundit is making. The argument does not assume that legislative compromise inevitably results in popular dissatisfaction with politicians. Instead, it claims that dissatisfaction is due to representatives doing what they were elected to do, which includes making compromises.

e) Answer choice E is incorrect because it's not relevant to the argument. The argument doesn't assume that only elected public servants tend to elicit dissatisfaction among the public.

In summary, the pundit's argument is flawed because it takes for granted that the apparent ineffectuality of legislative representatives is the only source of popular dissatisfaction with those representatives (answer choice A).