PT1.S4.Q06 - the most successful economies have

Navas de Tolosa

Hello, would anyone care to explain to me how D is the correct answer in this question, when in my opinion, it is so logically wrong? Thank you!

Matt Dare

The most successful economies have always been those that train as many people as possible in the skills to required to research, develop, and apply technology. Japan is a good example but they have a shortage of technically qualified people and too many laborers. Europe is behind Japan: Europe is lacking skilled labor to use tech, and has a shortage of scientists to develop and apply tech. And Europe has too many laborers.

A) Not supported. All we know is that Europe is short on scientists and skilled people. Engineers aren't mentioned.
Not supported. All we know about Japan is it has a model training effort and not enough tech people and too many laborers. Economy is not mentioned.
C) Not supported. The state of Japan's economy is not referenced in the stimulus and "narrow base..." is way too specific.
D) The stimulus clearly says that Europe is lacking skilled labor trained in tech AND scientists who can develop and apply tech. The stimulus also says that Europe is in a "weaker position." So if the strongest economies have people who can "do" all three tech things: use, develop, and apply and Europe is lacking all three, then in order to increase its economic strength they have to train more people in tech.
E) Totally not supported. The author says that Europe is in a weaker position with respect to training but also says they lack people who can do all three parts of the three-part tech-based approach to economic success. There's certainly nothing to support that Europe is in a strong economic position.

I tend to be a "ruler outer" and cut A-C, and E quickly. When I reviewed D it jumped right out as fully supported by the stimulus. I hope this helps.

You mentioned that D is "logically wrong." What about it is logically wrong? Is it possible this is a case where your outside knowledge interfered with your analysis of the stimulus and answer choices?

Navas de Tolosa

I agree with most of your analysis. I quickly eliminated all the answers except for D. But I still believe D to be logically wrong because the answer choices states to be "more successful" whereas the stimulus states to be "most successful." If the answer choice said "most successful," it would be dead right. But instead, there is a term shift that doesn't make it have to be true anymore. It unjustifiably rules out the possibility that there are other methods that Europe can use to improve the success of its economy, even if such improvement doesn't make it the "most successful." @"Matt Dare"

Matt Dare

I see your point: the stimulus doesn't imply the only way to improve is to go the tech route. So even if you concede there's room for improvement in Europe that doesn't force you to adopt the tech solution. Hmmm, I've got nothing. But my daughter, Alice is watching me respond and she says hi.

runiggyrun

I'm one of those people who think that if an answer choice doesn't make sense it's probably something about my judgment and not a mistake on the part of the LSAT writers, but I have to agree that the shift from "most" to "more" is very dubious. I picked D when I took the test just because all the others were clearly wrong, but I don't think it's necessarily a "must be true" - maybe a Most Strongly Supported.
I think this is the most dubious right answer I've come across so far, and maybe it being from the oldest released LSAT has something to do with it.
Any of the LR gurus out there that feel D is really an MBT and we are missing something?

Navas de Tolosa

@"Matt Dare" Haha, I'm just gonna pretend that it's a mistake, and I'm right since it's PT 1 and probably before the test writers fully masted writing LSAT questions.