Polls have shown that a higher percentage of graduating university st

Question

Polls have shown that a higher percentage of graduating university students are against proposals to reduce government social services than are students entering their first year at a university. These polls lead us to the conclusion that people with a university education are more likely to favor retaining or increasing the present level of government social services than are members of the overall population.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

(A) The polls of graduating university students were designed to avoid overrepresenting any single academic discipline.

(B) The political views of people with a university education are to a large degree influenced by their professors, and university professors
are usually against reducing government social services.

(C) Polls of retired persons who have not graduated from a university show a higher percentage of persons in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of retired persons who have graduated from a university.

(D) Polls of those who graduated from a university more than five years before being polled show a higher percentage of people in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of the overall population.

(E) In the polls cited, graduating university students were more likely to express strong opinions about the question of reducing government social services than were students entering a university.

LSAT

TaN1213 · Accepted Answer

The reasoning is as follows:

Group A : non- grad students
Group B : Grad- students.

Poll results : larger portion of Group B supports retaining G.S plan than does Group A.
 Conclusion : Based on the results of one poll, it is concluded and generalized that Group B is more likely to favor retaining G.S than does the overall population.
The conclusion is sufficiently weakened if Group B changes its decision with time to an extent that the proportion opposing the G.S is now more than that in overall population. In such case, the generalization would be invalid.

D presents just that information.

Reasoning gap : Faulty Generalization.

BingingOnNetflix · Answer

Really tough question. Got tripped up by E. Thought it meant that more graduating college students answered the poll, and thus skewed the results in their favor. But I see that I took that assumption a little too far

rmahe11 · Answer

I think E is just the opposite , it is a strengthener i feel . even i was also tricked

Naoufal · Answer

E tells us that first year university students are not likely to express strong opinions, which might bias the poll. The problem with E is that we do not have a clear definition on what a strong opinion on this matter is. It might be voting for the reduction, against or even not voting at all. Hence the effect this bias on the poll is unclear and we eliminate E

Sudhanwa23 · Answer

Well, I've got a confusion here. Since we are trying to weaken the argument that- 'the polls conclude that the people with a university education are more likely to favor retaining or increasing the present level of government social services than are members of the overall population',
Can't the option C be a right answer?
"Polls of retired persons who have not graduated from a university show a higher percentage of persons in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of retired persons who have graduated from a university"
This suggests that both retired persons, who graduated or not graduated have studied in a university. Still their opinions differ. So university education doesn't have any effect on the poll outcome?

I know my reasoning is off somewhere, since it is mentioned as LSAT question. Can someone tell me what am I not grasping here?

Ghoskrp3 · Answer

Polls: G raduating University Students (Graduates) ->  Against  proposals to reduce government social services (  Against   Reducing   Gov_Social_Service )
 =>  Graduates -> Against Reducing_Gov_Social_Service  
  =>  Against Reducing => Favour  
  => Graduates -> Favour _Gov_Social_Service > Freshmen (greater in headcount to freshmen)

Conclusion: University Education -> Support for Government Social Services / Against Reducing_Gov_Social_Service

2 statements:
  
  Premise:  Graduates  ->  Favour _Gov_Social_Service  >  Number of Freshmen 
  Conclusion:  University Education  ->   Support for Government Social Services / Against Reducing_Gov_Social_Service

Let's Evaluate to  Weaken  the conclusion:  
 (A) The polls of graduating university students were designed to avoid overrepresenting any single academic discipline.   -Okay but it doesn't weaken or strengthen anything

(B) The political views of people with a university education are to a large degree influenced by their professors, and university professors are usually against reducing government social services.   -Okay, but no matter how the opinion was influenced in the University, it still doesn't weaken this conclusion;  University Education -> Support for Government Social Services / A-PRGS

(C) Polls of retired persons who have not graduated from a university show a higher percentage of persons in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of retired persons who have graduated from a university.   -Not graduated support reduction of social services, while the graduated  Support   f  or Government Social Services / A-PRGS , which is exactly the same conclusion, so definitely wrong!

(D) Polls of those who graduated from a university more than five years before being polled show a higher percentage of people in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of the overall population.   - Graduated 5 years ago  (educated folks) want to reduce government social services  than the overall population,  this is totally against what was concluded , yes, this was the proposition what we were looking for!

(E) In the polls cited, graduating university students were more likely to express strong opinions about the question of reducing government social services than were students entering a university.   -Not graduated don't express opinions much and educated express opinions ... hence the conclusion will still be same which in turn isn't weakening the conclusion in any way

Hence, D

guddo · Answer

Polls have shown that a higher percentage of graduating university students are against proposals to reduce government social services than are students entering their first year at a university. These polls lead us to the conclusion that people with a university education are more likely to favor retaining or increasing the present level of government social services than are members of the overall population.
 
 Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

The argument assumes that  because graduating students are more supportive of social services than entering students, people with a university education in general must be more supportive than the overall population . The main weakness is that the argument jumps from current students to all university-educated people.

(A) The polls of graduating university students were designed to avoid overrepresenting any single academic discipline.

This does not weaken the argument. It actually makes the poll of graduating students seem more reliable.

(B) The political views of people with a university education are to a large degree influenced by their professors, and university professors are usually against reducing government social services.

This may help explain why graduating students differ from entering students, but it does not show that the final conclusion about university-educated people versus the overall population is false.

(C) Polls of retired persons who have not graduated from a university show a higher percentage of persons in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of retired persons who have graduated from a university.

This supports the conclusion rather than weakening it. It suggests university graduates are indeed less likely to favor reducing social services.

(D) Polls of those who graduated from a university more than five years before being polled show a higher percentage of people in favor of reducing government social services than do polls of the overall population.

This is the best answer. The conclusion is about people with a university education in general. If people who graduated more than five years ago are actually more likely than the overall population to favor reducing social services, then the conclusion is seriously undermined.

(E) In the polls cited, graduating university students were more likely to express strong opinions about the question of reducing government social services than were students entering a university.

This does not weaken the argument much. The issue is not strength of opinion, but which side they are on.

Answer: (D)

guddo · Answer

Because  B only explains why graduating students might differ from entering students ; it does not attack the conclusion that  people with a university education are more supportive of social services than the overall population .

In fact, B can even go the other way. If professors usually oppose reducing social services and they influence students, then university-educated people may indeed become more supportive of social services. So B is an explanation, not a serious weakening of the conclusion.

Polls have shown that a higher percentage of graduating university st

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Polls have shown that a higher percentage of graduating university st

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