LSAT Explanation PT 38, S1, Q12: Economist: Technology now changes so rapidly

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the economist's argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Necessary Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In the given passage, the economist presents an argument about the efficiency of retraining workers in the face of rapid technological change. The argument can be broken down into the following parts:

Premise 1: Technology changes so rapidly that workers need periodic retraining.

Premise 2: Efficient retraining allows individual companies to meet their own short-term needs. (RE -> STN met)

Conclusion: Large governmental job retraining programs are no longer a viable option to retrain workers efficiently. (~RE)

The question type is a Necessary Assumption question, which means we need to identify an assumption that the argument requires in order to be valid.

Now, let's evaluate each answer choice:

a) Workers did not need to be retrained when the pace of technological change was slower than it is currently.

- This answer choice is not necessary for the argument, as it focuses on the past, while the argument is concerned with the current situation and the efficiency of retraining programs.

b) Large job retraining programs will be less efficient than smaller programs if the pace of technological change slows.

- This answer choice is not necessary, as it addresses a hypothetical situation where the pace of technological change slows, which is not relevant to the argument.

c) No single type of retraining program is most efficient at retraining technological workers.

- This answer choice is not necessary, as the argument doesn't rely on the efficiency of a single type of retraining program. The argument focuses on large governmental programs being inefficient.

d) Large governmental job retraining programs do not meet the short-term needs of different individual companies. (~STN met)

- This answer choice is necessary, as it connects the conclusion that large governmental job retraining programs are inefficient (~RE) with the premise that efficient retraining allows individual companies to meet their short-term needs (RE -> STN met). The contrapositive of the premise is that if short-term needs of the company are not met, then the retraining is not efficient (~STN met -> ~RE). This connection is needed to make the argument valid.

e) Technological workers are more likely now than in the past to move in order to find work for which they are already trained.

- This answer choice is not necessary, as the argument focuses on the efficiency of retraining programs, not the likelihood of workers moving to find work.

Therefore, the correct answer is D, as it is a necessary assumption for the economist's argument to be valid.