October 2015 LSAT Section 2 Question 16

When surveyed about which party they would like to see in the legislature, 40 percent of respondents said Conservativ...

21mhunter21 on January 22, 2020

Circular Reasoning?

Can someone please explain how this is different from circular reasoning (AC B). I do understand how C is correct, but fail to see how B is not.

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SamA on January 22, 2020

Hello @21mhunter21,

I see what you mean, but there is no circular reasoning here. I will explain. You will see plenty of logical reasoning questions involving survey results. They will take information about a sample population and use it to make a conclusion about the general population. That is what is happening in this question.

The survey results are based on "respondents," who received the survey and answered it. The conclusion is about "most citizens." These are two different groups. This is why it is not a simple restatement of the premise. It is a broader conclusion based on the sample, so B is incorrect.

C is a better answer, because the argument ignores the possibility that those who responded with "Liberal" want to see a legislature that is 100% Liberal. It assumes that the individuals each have the average opinion of the group.

21mhunter21 on January 22, 2020

That makes sense!! Thank you very much for a quick response