LSAT Explanation PT 28, S1, Q17: When a community opens a large

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the discrepancy described above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Paradox question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first understand the passage. It states that when a community opens a large shopping mall, there is an expectation of a boost to the local economy. While there is a lot of economic activity happening within the mall, the increase in the local economy is much smaller than the total amount of economic activity in the mall. The question asks us to find an explanation for this discrepancy.

The question type is Paradox, and we are looking for an answer that helps to explain the discrepancy mentioned in the passage.

Now, let's analyze each answer choice:

a) This answer choice suggests that large shopping malls attract fewer shoppers than traditional downtown shopping districts once the novelty wears off. While this may explain a decrease in economic activity over time, it does not address the discrepancy between the economic activity within the mall and the increase in the local economy.

b) This answer choice states that most of the money spent in the mall is spent by tourists who would not have visited the community if the mall had not been built. This actually supports the idea that the mall should boost the local economy, as it brings in tourists who spend money. However, it does not explain why the increase in the local economy is smaller than the total economic activity in the mall.

c) This answer choice focuses on the jobs created by the mall and the people who move to the community for those jobs. While it explains that the mall attracts newcomers to the community, it does not address the discrepancy between the economic activity within the mall and the increase in the local economy.

d) This answer choice states that most of the money spent in the mall would have been spent elsewhere in the community if the mall had not been built. This explanation helps to resolve the discrepancy, as it suggests that the economic activity within the mall is not entirely new to the community. Instead, it is simply a redistribution of economic activity that would have occurred elsewhere in the community. Therefore, the increase in the local economy is smaller than the total economic activity in the mall because much of that activity is not new.

e) This answer choice discusses the temporary nature of the jobs created by the mall's construction and the low pay of the permanent jobs. While this may impact the overall economic benefits of the mall, it does not explain the discrepancy between the economic activity within the mall and the increase in the local economy.

Based on our analysis, the correct answer is D, as it provides a clear explanation for the discrepancy between the economic activity within the mall and the increase in the local economy.