/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 2 Between 1971 and 1975, the gover... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91影视

91影视

Log out

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 4: Problem 2

Between 1971 and 1975, the government office that monitors drug companies issued an average of 60 citations a year for serious violations of drug- promotion laws. Between 1976 and 1980, the annual average for issuance of such citations was only 5 . This decrease indicates that the government office was, on average, considerably more lax in enforcing drug-promotion laws between 1976 and 1980 than it was between 1971 and 1975. The argument assumes which one of the following? (A) The decrease in the number of citations was not caused by a decrease in drug companies' violations of drug-promotion laws. (B) A change in enforcement of drug-promotion laws did not apply to minor violations. (C) The enforcement of drug-promotion laws changed in response to political pressure. (D) The government office should not issue more than an average of 5 citations a year to drug companies for serious violations of drug-promotion laws. (E) Before 1971 the government office issued more than 60 citations a year to drug companies for serious violations of drug-promotion laws.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The argument assumes (A).

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Argument

The argument suggests that a decrease in citations indicates a more lax enforcement of drug-promotion laws from 1976 to 1980 compared with 1971 to 1975.
02

Analyze the Assumption

For the argument to hold, it must assume that the decrease in citations is not due to a reduction in the number of actual violations.
03

Evaluate Option A

Option A states that the decrease in the number of citations was not caused by a decrease in violations. If true, this supports the idea that enforcement was laxer.
04

Evaluate Option B

Option B focuses on minor violations, but the argument concerns serious violations. Therefore, it is not directly relevant.
05

Evaluate Option C

Option C suggests political pressure influenced enforcement, but the argument does not address why enforcement changed, only that it was laxer.
06

Evaluate Option D

Option D implies a normative statement about the number of citations that should be issued, which does not relate to the assumption of why fewer citations were issued.
07

Evaluate Option E

Option E discusses the number of citations before 1971, which is irrelevant to the argument comparing 1971-1975 to 1976-1980.
08

Select the Correct Assumption

Option A is the assumption underlying the argument; it indicates that fewer citations must imply laxer enforcement rather than fewer violations.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91影视!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Assumption Identification
When analyzing arguments in logical reasoning, one of the most crucial skills to develop is assumption identification. Assumptions are unstated premises that must be true for an argument to hold. These are the skeletons holding the structure of the argument in place. Understanding these hidden elements is particularly important on exams like the LSAT, where argument evaluation is a core component.

In the exercise about the decrease in citations, the argument assumes that the drop in numbers did not result from fewer violations. This means that the author believes no other explanations account for the decrease except a lax in enforcement. If this assumption is incorrect, the argument falls apart. To identify assumptions, ask yourself what must be true for the conclusion to make sense. This practice broadens your understanding and prepares you for various logical scenarios. It also hones your critical thinking abilities, enabling you to dissect arguments and pinpoint their weaknesses.
Logical Analysis
Logical analysis involves dissecting an argument into its fundamental parts to evaluate its validity and soundness. This skill helps to identify the reasoning pattern and evaluate how conclusions are drawn from premises. When an argument is presented, it is essential to look at the evidence supporting the conclusion and ask if it logically connects to the conclusion given.

For the exercise on citation statistics, the logical analysis involves examining the correlation between the number of citations and the enforcement of drug-promotion laws. What assumptions are being made about this correlation? Is it valid to say that fewer citations mean more lax enforcement without further evidence? Logical analysis aids in these evaluations, ensuring that arguments are not accepted at face value but are critically examined for logical consistency.
  • Identify the premises and conclusion.
  • Determine whether the premises logically support the conclusion.
  • Look for any logical fallacies or gaps in reasoning.
Argument Evaluation
Argument evaluation is an extension of logical analysis, focusing not just on dissecting an argument but assessing its overall strength and relevance. In this step, we scrutinize the supporting evidence, the logical flow, and the underlying assumptions to decide whether the argument is convincing.

For the exercise in question, evaluating the argument requires understanding why option A is the correct choice. Here, we ask: Does the evidence provided support the conclusion that oversight was more lax? What other factors might be at play, like improvements in pharmaceutical compliance or changes in citation criteria? Evaluating an argument involves looking beyond the surface to see if alternative explanations or evidence compromises the argument's strength. It's about being skeptical in a constructive way to ensure that the argument is watertight.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the art of systematic evaluation to form a judgment. This involves stepping back and viewing an argument from multiple angles, considering not just the given information but also what is left unsaid. On exams like the LSAT, this skill is vital for navigating not just the logical reasoning section but the entire test.

In our exercise, critical thinking requires us to question the given decrease in citations. Is it fair to attribute this purely to laxness without evidence? Could there be other interpretations? Such as changes in industry standards or shifts in policy focus? Critical thinking pushes you to think deeper than surface-level analysis, encouraging you to challenge assumptions, evaluate evidence rigorously, and construct logical, well-founded conclusions.
  • Ask reflective questions rather than taking information as given.
  • Compare different viewpoints to assess their validity.
  • Look for hidden biases or assumptions that might skew interpretation.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Complaints that milk bottlers take enormous markups on the bottled milk sold to consumers are most likely to arise when least warranted by the actual spread between the price that bottlers pay for raw milk and the price at which they sell bottled milk. The complaints occur when the bottled-milk price rises, yet these price increases most often merely reflect the rising price of the raw milk that bottlers buy from dairy farmers. When the raw-milk price is rising, the bottlers' markups are actually smallest proportionate to the retail price. When the raw-milk price is falling, however, the markups are greatest. If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them? (A) Consumers pay more for bottled milk when raw-milk prices are falling than when these prices are rising. (B) Increases in dairy farmers' cost of producing milk are generally not passed on to consumers. (C) Milk bottlers take substantially greater markups on bottled milk when its price is low for an extended period than when it is high for an extended period. (D) Milk bottlers generally do not respond to a decrease in raw-milk prices by straightaway proportionately lowering the price of the bottled milk they sell. (E) Consumers tend to complain more about the price they pay for bottled milk when dairy farmers are earning their smallest profits.

Of the following, which one would the author most likely say is the most troublesome barrier facing working parents with primary child-care responsibility? (A) the lack of full-time jobs open to women (B) the inflexibility of work schedules (C) the low wages of part-time employment (D) the limited advancement opportunities for nonprofessional employees (E) the practice of allocating responsibilities in the workplace on the basis of gender

The critic's response to the historian is flawed because it (A) produces evidence that is consistent with there not having been any timber trade between Poran and Nayal during the third Nayalese dynasty (B) cites current laws without indicating whether the laws cited are relevant to the timber trade (C) fails to recognize that the historian's conclusion was based on indirect evidence rather than direct evidence (D) takes no account of the difference between a law's enactment at a particular time and a law's existence as part of a legal code at a particular time (E) accepts without question the assumption about the purpose of laws that underlies the historian's argument

The National Association of Fire Fighters says that 45 percent of homes now have smoke detectors, whereas only 30 percent of homes had them 10 years ago. This makes early detection of house fires no more likely, however, because over half of the domestic smoke detectors are either without batteries or else inoperative for some other reason. In order for the conclusion above to be properly drawn, which one of the following assumptions would have to be made? (A) Fifteen percent of domestic smoke detectors were installed less than 10 years ago. (B) The number of fires per year in homes with smoke detectors has increased. (C) Not all of the smoke detectors in homes are battery operated. (D) The proportion of domestic smoke detectors that are inoperative has increased in the past ten years. (E) Unlike automatic water sprinklers, a properly functioning smoke detector cannot by itself increase fire safety in a home.

According to sources who can be expected to know, Dr. Maria Esposito is going to run in the mayoral election. But if Dr. Esposito runs, Jerome Krasman will certainly not run against her. Therefore Dr. Esposito will be the only candidate in the election. The flawed reasoning in the argument above most closely parallels that in which one of the following? (A) According to its management, Brown's Stores will move next year. Without Brown's being present, no new large store can be attracted to the downtown area. Therefore the downtown area will no longer be viable as a shopping district. (B) The press release says that the rock group Rollercoaster is playing a concert on Saturday. It won't be playing on Friday if it plays on Saturday. So Saturday will be the only day this week on which Rollercoaster will perform. (C) Joshua says the interviewing panel was impressed by Marilyn. But if they were impressed by Marilyn, they probably thought less of Sven. Joshua is probably right, and so Sven will probably not get the job. (D) An informant says that Rustimann was involved in the bank robbery. If Rustimann was involved, Jones was certainly not involved. Since these two are the only people who could have been involved, Rustimann is the only person the police need to arrest. (E) The review said that this book is the best one for beginners at programming. If this book is the best, that other one can't be as good. So this one is the book we should buy.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on English Textbooks

Creative Writing

Read Explanation

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Read Explanation

International English

Read Explanation

Multiple Choice Questions

Read Explanation

Language and Social Groups

Read Explanation

Global English

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.