LSAT 144 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q2

LR Question 2 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Government official: Residents who are foreign citizens…

QUESTION TYPE: Complete the Argument

CONCLUSION: Cabinet undersecretaries shouldn’t be foreign citizens.

REASONING: Cabinet secretaries shouldn’t be foreign citizens, because some of their duties should only be done by citizens. Undersecretaries will sometimes have to act as Cabinet secretaries.

ANALYSIS: It’s important to think about why the author says cabinet secretaries shouldn’t be foreign citizens. It’s because some of their duties should only be done by citizens.

Cabinet undersecretaries will sometimes be required to do those same duties, when they’re acting as cabinet secretaries. So logically any restriction that applies to cabinet secretaries should also apply to undersecretaries.

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1. This goes against the argument. The author was saying we shouldn’t use foreign citizens in certain positions. But this answer is suggesting that we should give foreigners citizenship, presumably in order to let them serve as cabinet secretaries.
2. CORRECT. This matches. Undersecretaries will sometimes have to do a secretary’s duties. And those duties should only be done by citizens.
3. This is too restrictive. The argument only gave one reason for declining to make someone a cabinet secretary: they were a foreign citizen.
   It’s quite possible a national citizen could be an adequate cabinet secretary without having first been an undersecretary.
4. This contradicts the argument. The second sentence agrees that it’s wise not to let foreign citizens be cabinet secretaries.
5. This doesn’t follow. Cabinet secretary sounds like an important position. We probably need them to have replacements ready if they’re absent.