LSAT 125 – Section 4 – Question 01

LSAT 125 - Section 4 - Question 01

June 2008

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT125 S4 Q01
+LR
Strengthen +Streng
Link Assumption +LinkA
Analogy +An
A
1%
153
B
2%
153
C
2%
155
D
1%
157
E
94%
163
126
135
145
 +Easier 145.982 +SubsectionMedium

Editorialist: Advertisers devote millions of dollars to the attempt to instill attitudes and desires that lead people to purchase particular products, and advertisers’ techniques have been adopted by political strategists in democratic countries, who are paid to manipulate public opinion in every political campaign. Thus, the results of elections in democratic countries cannot be viewed as representing the unadulterated preferences of the people.

Summarize Argument
Election results don’t represent people’s raw opinions. This is because strategists employ techniques to manipulate public opinion for political campaigns.

Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that political strategists’ efforts actually impact people’s behaviours. It could be that the strategists adopt the advertisers’ strategies, and people aren’t affected.

A
Public opinion can be manipulated more easily by officials of nondemocratic governments than by those of democratic governments.
This does not affect the argument. Nondemocratic governments—and how easily they can influence opinion—is not relevant to the argument, which only discusses democratic governments.
B
Advertisers’ techniques are often apparent to the people to whom the advertisements are directed.
This does not affect the argument. We don’t know if people being aware of techniques impacts whether they’re influenced or not. People may be aware of these tactics and still be influenced (or not). We’d have to make too many assumptions for this to have an impact.
C
Many democratic countries have laws limiting the amount that may be spent on political advertisements in any given election.
This does not affect the argument. There may be a huge budget or a small one—we’d have to make too many assumptions for this to have any impact.
D
People who neither watch television nor read any print media are more likely to vote than people who do one or both of these activities.
This does not affect the argument. The possibility that there are people who do not consume media, and thus aren’t exposed to the strategists’ techniques, does nothing to strengthen the argument that election results don’t represent people’s raw preferences.
E
Unlike advertisements for consumer products, most of which only reinforce existing beliefs, political advertisements often change voters’ beliefs.
This strengthens the argument that election results don't represent people’s raw beliefs by telling us that political ads often change people’s preexisting beliefs. Thus, the conclusion (and its link to the impact of political ads) is strengthened.

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LSAT PrepTest 125 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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