LSAT 136 – Section 2 – Question 18

LSAT 136 - Section 2 - Question 18

June 2012

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT136 S2 Q18
+LR
Main conclusion or main point +MC
Link Assumption +LinkA
A
78%
165
B
2%
154
C
1%
155
D
10%
159
E
8%
162
134
147
160
 +Medium 146.855 +SubsectionMedium

Columnist: It may soon be possible for an economy to function without paper money. Instead, the government would electronically record all transactions as they take place. However, while this may be technologically feasible it would never be willingly accepted by a society, for it gives the government too much power. People are rightly distrustful of governments with too much power.

Summarize Argument
A society would never willingly accept the government electronically recording all transactions because people do not trust governments with too much power, and such a system would give the government too much power.

Identify Conclusion
A society would never willingly accept the government electronically recording all transactions.

A
A society would never willingly accept a system in which, in lieu of paper money, the government keeps track of every transaction electronically.
This reflects the main conclusion that society wouldn’t accept replacing paper money with a system where the government records transactions electronically. The answer summarizes this by stating that society would reject such a system. (Note that “in lieu of” means “instead of.”)
B
It is reasonable for people to distrust a government that has too much power.
This restates a premise. The columnist argues that people "are rightly distrustful of governments with too much power" to support the conclusion that society wouldn't accept a potential new economic system. Since it supports another claim, it can't be the main conclusion.
C
New technology may soon make it possible for an economy to operate without paper money.
This summarizes the context of the stimulus. It proposes a potential new economic system—one in which paper money is no longer needed—which sets the stage for the columnist to explain why society would not accept this system: it gives the government too much power.
D
People are right to be unwilling to give the government the power it would need to operate an economy without paper money.
The stimulus doesn’t make this claim. The columnist notes that people are “rightly distrustful of governments with too much power” but doesn’t conclude that people would be right to distrust this new economic system. The columnist simply concludes that people wouldn’t accept it.
E
Even though it may be technologically feasible, no government will be able to operate an economy without the use of paper money.
This misstates the conclusion. The columnist concludes that society wouldn't willingly accept a system where the government records all transactions, not that it would be impossible for a government to use it. A government could perhaps impose such a system despite resistance.

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LSAT PrepTest 136 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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