LSAT Explanation PT 44, S4, Q26: Political theorist: For all of its

LSAT Question Stem

The conclusion drawn above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Sufficient Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The question type for this problem is Sufficient Assumption, and we are asked to find the answer choice that, when added to the premises in the passage, allows for the conclusion to be properly drawn.

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage and identify its structure. The political theorist presents a series of conditional statements:

1. For an alliance to be strong, it must respond aggressively to problems (Premise): AS -> RA

2. An alliance will respond aggressively only if every member perceives the problems as grave (Premise): RA -> PG

3. The European Union countries will not perceive a problem as grave unless they all agree that it threatens their alliance's economy (Premise): PG -> ATAE

We can then create a chain of logic: AS -> RA -> PG -> ATAE

The conclusion is that not all of the member countries of the European Union will be strong in foreign policy (AS).

Now, let's consider the "Evaluate" question: "Do problems that appear to some member countries of the European Union to threaten the alliance's economy also appear so to others?"

Let's evaluate each answer choice:

a) This answer choice discusses countries that refuse to join alliances, which is irrelevant to the argument. It doesn't help us justify the conclusion.

b) This choice talks about the aggression level of individual countries rather than the responses of alliances, so it doesn't help us justify the conclusion.

c) This is the correct answer choice. If problems that appear economically threatening to some countries do not appear so to others, then at least some countries do not perceive the gravity of the threat (PG). Knowing this, we can conclude that PG -> RA -> AS, meaning not all members of the European Union will be strong in foreign policy.

d) This choice doesn't prove that any countries fail to perceive economic relevance, so it doesn't trigger any of the conditions in the passage needed to justify the conclusion.

e) The benefits derived by individual countries from alliance membership are irrelevant to the conclusion we seek to justify.

In summary, the correct answer choice is (c), as it provides the missing assumption that allows us to justify the conclusion that not all of the member countries of the European Union will be strong in foreign policy.