LSAT (Law School Admission Test)Logical ReasoningEasy
Economist: The government's recent policy, which offers substantial tax breaks to companies that relocate their manufacturing facilities within national borders, is intended to boost domestic employment. However, simply offering tax breaks will not significantly increase jobs. Many companies that would qualify for these tax breaks are already highly automated and employ very few workers. Therefore, the policy is unlikely to achieve its stated goal.
- ACompanies that are highly automated do not contribute to the national economy.
- BTax breaks are never an effective way to stimulate economic growth.
- CThe primary goal of the policy is to increase domestic employment.
- DThe policy will not attract any companies to relocate their manufacturing facilities within national borders.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. The primary goal of the policy is to increase domestic employment.
The economist's argument directly addresses whether the policy will achieve its stated goal. Identifying this goal is crucial to understanding the argument's conclusion. The argument focuses on the policy's efficacy in boosting domestic employment.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The economist's argument is about job creation, not the overall economic contribution of automated companies.
- B. This is an overly broad generalization not supported by the economist's specific argument, which focuses on this particular policy's effectiveness.
- D. This is a stronger claim than what the economist implies; the economist only argues that the policy won't 'significantly' increase jobs, not that it will attract 'no' companies.
Identifying the Main Point
The main point of an argument is the central conclusion that the author is trying to persuade the audience to accept.
- It's the claim that all other statements in the argument are intended to support.
- Often signaled by conclusion indicators like 'therefore,' 'thus,' 'consequently,' or 'it follows that.'
- Can sometimes be implied, requiring careful synthesis of the premises.
Memory trick: Think 'CAP': Conclusion, Assumption, Premise.