#25 - Specific Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (B).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[Etsevdos]

What is wrong with E?

[nicholaspavic]

Hi Etsevdos,

Your question is rather vague here, but I will try to answer it as best as I can. Nowhere in the passage is it implied that the Constitution already had reporting and consulting requirements for the President to Congress. That is what the whole passage is in fact about - the historical background for the passage of this law imposing such requirements. I am not sure where you would find support for Answer Options (E) but regardless, it is incorrect because it is not a reasonable inference (i.e. must be true) from the passage.

We hope this helps!

[Etsevdos]

Thanks. Getting caught up on my posts now and I just realized I should have been tracking what pages / books they are on! Embarrassingly, I am actually having an issue locating this is my course materials. Is there a way to find out where such questions would be posted in the LSAT course books? Thank you!

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Hi Etsevdos,

Thanks for the question! I answered this one on your post over here: lsat/viewtopic.php?f=1168&t=15744, so just let me know if you need help finding a specific question in the book.

Thanks!

[saygracealways]

Hi Powerscore,

Could you please help me explain why answer choice (B) is correct?

I initially chose (A) because the last paragraph says that "The resolution required the President, in the absence of a declaration of war, to consult with Congress "in every possible instance" before introducing forces", so I inferred that when there is a declaration of war, President doesn't need to consult with Congress because the presidential requirements for which war has been declared have already been enacted by Congress.

Thank you!

[KelseyWoods]

Hi saygracealways!

This is a good example of a Specific Reference question where you actually need to know what's happening elsewhere in the passage to answer it. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is mentioned in multiple areas of the passage and they are all relevant to a question about it. Check out the last sentence of the 1st paragraph, which states: "the spirit of the Constitution at least requires that Congress should be involved in the decision to deploy troops, and in passing the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Congress has at last reclaimed a role in such decisions" (lines 20-25). Earlier in that same paragraph, it states that "the Constitution gives Congress the basic power to declare war" (lines 9-10). This suggests that the Resolution is necessary to involve Congress in the decision to employ troops when there hasn't been a declaration of war, because they're already involved in the decision when they pass a declaration of war. The purpose of the Resolution was to ensure that Congress was still involved in the decision to deploy troops, so that's why it only applies when Congress hasn't already been involved in that decision.

For answer choice (A), the purpose of the Resolution is to ensure Congress' involvement, not to set out presidential requirements. We don't have enough information to prove that other laws set out presidential requirements for situations in which war has already been declared. This law is more about setting out Congress' involvement.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

[diwil]

I am still not sure what is wrong with E. Do do see how option B is a precise and accurate answer, but I don't see what is wrong with B.
Is E wrong because the text does not mention the consulting and reporting requirements when there is declaration of war? Isn't implied by the text that in case of declaration of war, the President has to consult and report to Congress?

[Robert Carroll]

diwil,

Any information about what the Constitution explicitly says about the matter would have to be found in the first paragraph. But there is no information on the reporting and consulting requirements of the President in the case of a declared war in that paragraph. So there is no way to know whether answer choice (E) is true.

Robert Carroll

[cgleeson]

I had such a hard time understanding this question I had to come back to it. Ironically for me the only answer that made sense to me was B. I left the question alone, finished the section then went back to it....I looked at the answers again and chose B.