Logical reasoning PrepTest 134 · Section 2 · Question 4

Incorrect. If anything, this suggests that it's okay for a president to not keep profits high, cutting against the argument.

Incorrect. The board of directors isn't mentioned in the argument and isn't inherently related to anything brought up there, so this answer is out of scope.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen

Stimulus Summary:
A part of a corporation's president's job is to promote the shareholders' interests. So it's the president's job to keep profits high.

Answer Anticipation:
This argument jumps from a premise about promoting the interests of shareholders to a conclusion about keeping profits high. There's no premise established stating that keeping profits high will promote the shareholders' interest.

Answer Explanation:
This answer connects the premise about promoting shareholder interests and the conclusion about keeping profits high. In connecting these key ideas and bridging the gap between the premise and conclusion, this answer strengthens the argument.

Key Takeaway:
When you identify two different terms that the argument is treating as being the same, or at least guaranteeing each other, be very careful if you think that it's a valid connection. Questions on the LSAT will sometimes rely on assumptions that seem very reasonable or that the writer knows most people would make, such as here that shareholders want their corporations to make money. If the terms aren't inherently related—if they're not related by definition—then jumping between them is an assumption and a flaw that is likely related to the correct answer.

Incorrect. This answer distinguishes between shareholder interests and profits, which is the opposite of what we're looking for in an answer since the argument conflates those two things.

Incorrect. While this answer aligns with the argument since it states that "one of" the jobs of a president is to promote shareholder interests, it doesn't strengthen an argument that one thing—keeping profits high—falls into that category.