LSAT 111 – Section 4 – Question 17

LSAT 111 - Section 4 - Question 17

October 2001

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT111 S4 Q17
+LR
Except +Exc
Weaken +Weak
Conditional Reasoning +CondR
Link Assumption +LinkA
Kick It Up +KIU
A
3%
155
B
6%
158
C
2%
155
D
4%
159
E
85%
166
141
149
157
 +Medium 144.86 +SubsectionEasier

J.Y.’s explanation

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Politician: All nations that place a high tax on income produce thereby a negative incentive for technological innovation, and all nations in which technological innovation is hampered inevitably fall behind in the international arms race. Those nations that, through historical accident or the foolishness of their political leadership, wind up in a strategically disadvantageous position are destined to lose their voice in world affairs. So if a nation wants to maintain its value system and way of life, it must not allow its highest tax bracket to exceed 30 percent of income.

Summarize Argument
The politician concludes that nations should tax income only at rates lower than 30 percent in order to maintain their value system and way of life. For support, he cites a general rule: a high income tax produces a negative incentive for innovation, which causes a country to fall behind in the arms race. This causes those nations to lose international power, a circumstance threatening their values and way of life.

Notable Assumptions
The politician makes many assumptions. He assumes an income tax bracket exceeding 30 percent is high enough to produce a negative incentive for innovation, that such an incentive always hampers innovation, that falling behind in the arms race means suffering a “strategically disadvantageous position,” and that a nation that loses power internationally is at risk of compromising its way of life and values.

A
The top level of taxation must reach 45 percent before taxation begins to deter inventors and industrialists from introducing new technologies and industries.
This disputes the assumption that any income tax bracket exceeding 30 percent is high enough to create a negative incentive for technological innovation.
B
Making a great deal of money is an insignificant factor in driving technological innovation.
This calls into question the general rule, critical to the politician’s argument, that a high income tax produces a negative incentive for innovation.
C
Falling behind in the international arms race does not necessarily lead to a strategically less advantageous position.
This refutes the assumption that nations who lag in the arms race must be strategically disadvantaged, and thus breaks a link in the politician’s chain of reasoning.
D
Those nations that lose influence in the world community do not necessarily suffer from a threat to their value system or way of life.
This disputes the assumption that nations that lose international power risk compromising their values or way of life, breaking a link in the politician’s chain of reasoning.
E
Allowing one’s country to lose its technological edge, especially as concerns weaponry, would be foolish rather than merely a historical accident.
This is consistent with the politician’s statements because he says that falling behind in the arms race will cause a country to lose its international power, even if it’s due to foolishness.

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LSAT PrepTest 111 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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