#2 - Must Be True, Author's Perspective

[Administrator]

Question Line Reference
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=11045)

The correct answer choice is (C)

The justification for the correct answer choice can be found on:

(Lines 50-51)

Correct answer choice (C) can be confirmed by the opening paragraph, and the first sentence from the concluding paragraph. Since the author holds that absolute power cannot be maintained indefinitely, and that authoritarian rule tends to bring about the three types of changes discussed, the author can certainly be described as confident that authoritarian regimes tend, through natural societal courses, to take on democratic reforms. Answer choices (A) and (B) can be quickly eliminated, as the tone of this passage is neither uncertain nor puzzled. Further, the author makes no value judgments like the one found in answer choice (D), and, taking a very academic tone in presenting facts and assertions, does not manifest “concern” as suggested in answer choice (E).

[moshearking]

The passage doesn't seem to support that authoritarian regimes will be replaced, rather they will shift in policy to maintain power. When the author uses phenomena such as human rights abuses and terms like repression in relation to authoritarian regimes, he seems to be introducing an opinion and attitude towards such regimes. This is why I both strongly disagree with choice C and reluctantly agree with choice D. If you can clarify that would be great!

[Beatrice Brown]

Hi Moshearking, and welcome to the forum! Happy to help you out with this

First, let's look at why answer choice (D) is incorrect. We are looking for an answer choice that captures the author's primary attitude towards these regimes. Answer choice (D) tells us that the author's primary attitude is that these authoritarian governments are unjust. However, in the passage, the author reports the qualities and practices of authoritarian governments in a very factual/neutral tone. Although the author mentions facets of authoritarian regimes like repression, this does not mean that he is expressing that these regimes are unjust. For answer choice (D) to be correct, the author would have to make a value judgment about whether or not these regimes are unjust, rather than just articulating and discussing these aspects of authoritarian regimes.

Answer choice (C) tells us that the author's attitude towards authoritarian regimes is that he is confident that most will be replaced by a more democratic form of government. This answer choice is supported by the first sentence in the last paragraph, where the author states that in the long run, authoritarian rule will usually lead to all three types of changes discussed throughout the passage. Looking at the first paragraph, the three types of changes that the author refers to cause authoritarian regimes to undertake democratic reforms. Therefore, the author believes it is inevitable that most authoritarian regimes will undertake democratic reforms in order to survive, which is consistent with answer choice (C) and makes this the correct answer choice.

Note that the wording in answer choice (C) does not mean that the author thinks that the regimes themselves will be replaced by another regime; instead, the answer choice suggests that most authoritarian regimes will necessarily be replaced by a more democratic form of government. This is consistent with the idea articulated by the author in the passage, which is that most authoritarian regimes will undertake reforms that make the government more democratic. Being replaced by a more democratic form of government just means that the form of government will shift, not the regime itself; this type of shift can be done through the introduction of more democratic policies.

I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!

[moshearking]

Got it, thanks so much!