Logical reasoning PrepTest 110 · Section 3 · Question 14

Incorrect. The statement in question does describe a phenomenon, but it doesn't attempt to explain it other than to say people sometimes act in weird ways.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Argument Structure

Stimulus Summary:
People complain about the government getting in their business, but they don't reelect people who fail to pass laws that would get in their business. So people reelect politicians who do stuff they don't like.

Answer Anticipation:
The argument here opens with a generalization—people's behavior doesn't match what they say. From that, it highlights an example of it—they say they don't like politicians intervening in their lives, but they don't reelect politicians who fail to pass laws that intervene in their lives. It then concludes ("Thus") with another generalization based on this example.

Since the first and last statements are generalizations based on the example provided they're conclusions. While we could spend time figuring out which is intermediate and which is the main point the statement in question is a part of the example that supports them. It's unlikely that figuring out which of the two statements is the main point will be key to answering the question so let's find an answer that says the statement in question is a premise/part of an example supporting the main point. If we do need to distinguish between the two conclusions we'll do so at that point instead of potentially wasting the time up front.

Answer Explanation:
The statement in question is a premise and the conclusion noted here is one of the conclusions of the argument so this is the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
For questions that are about argument structure (mainly Argument Structure Methods of Reasoning and Main Point) don't work past the answer! If you don't need to analyze the logic don't. If you don't need to clearly define a statement's role don't. Answer the question that's being asked not a potential question that isn't.

Incorrect. While it is a part of an example of people's behavior not matching what they say, that's not what this answer says. This answer describes the statement in question as an example of politicians passing laws that interfere with people's lives, and those people reelecting them isn't an example of that. For this answer to be correct, the statement in question would need to be a law that interferes with voters' lives.

Incorrect. While the statement in question is a generalization, it isn't supported by any premises, so it's not "based on a claim." Premises aren't based on claims; they are claims that other statements are based off of.

Incorrect. The argument states only that people's behavior "frequently" doesn't match their "rhetoric" not that their behavior "never" matches their "political beliefs."