LSAT 112 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q12

LR Question 12 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Vague laws set vague limits on people’s freedom…

QUESTION TYPE: Sufficient Assumption

CONCLUSION: People cannot feel secure under vague laws.

REASONING: Vague laws restrict freedom: people can’t be sure if their actions are legal.

ANALYSIS: The argument goes from restricting freedom to feeling insecure. We need some kind of connection.

As always on a sufficient assumption question, the right answer must connect the premises to the necessary condition of the conclusion.

The correct answer tells us: Don’t know if actions are legal ➞ you cannot feel secure.

___________

1. CORRECT. Since people don’t know if their actions are legal when laws are vague then people also can’t feel secure.
2. “Might not feel secure”? That’s not a very powerful answer choice. Our conclusion is that people cannot feel secure.
3. We’re trying to conclude that people don’t feel secure. This only tells us how to conclude that people do feel secure.
4. This doesn’t tell us that people will necessarily feel insecure if the laws governing them are vague.
5. This gets it backwards. We get: know your actions are legal ➞ feel secure. That doesn’t help us conclude that people don’t feel secure.