#11 - Concept 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!

[andriana.caban]

Hi!

I got this incorrect at first but understand why the correct answer is (B). Can you please tell me if my logic is correct in why (B) is correct and why (A),(C), (D), (E) are incorrect. Thank you!

(A) "succession of power at the death of a head" - the Critical Legal Studies movement indicates that laws are "an expression of elites that may or may not have authority". How does this answer choice represent the "power of elites" that CLS mentions? Additionally, "legal precedents, specific situations...etc." was never discussed by CLS. What if the legal precedents are not in favor of elites? Eliminated.

(B) Eliminated at first because I saw "income tax deductions" and equated that phrasing with the legal economists theory of law regarding maximizing material wealth. I can see now that I assumed material wealth equaled economic gain and then associated income tax with the economy. But, laws that were devised by the elite class to benefit the elite class paraphrases what the CLS movement is about. Question: How can income tax deductions of charitable contributions be a benefit to the elite class? Is it because it is "perpetuated by the elite class"?

(C) Completely irrelevant. Doesn't encapsulate the CLS movement at all because it doesn't explain how this will effect / benefit elites?

(D) I initially chose this. I now see why it is incorrect. Answer choice describes laws that effect "disadvantaged and powerless" members but CLS movement is about elites using laws to solidify their power / position. Also, (D)'s mention of a society "moral state", which wasn't mentioned by CLS movement.

(E) Again, this answer choice concerns an electoral system and the continuation of governance not the preservation of elites power.

[Adam Tyson]

Good analysis, Andriana, and a good set of reasons for eliminating those wrong answers. To answer your question about why B fits with the CLS approach, it is because the laws were devised and perpetuated by the rich, rather than by the legitimate holders of power (the lawmakers).