15. The following appeared as a part of an advertisement for Adams, who is seeking reelection as governor.
“Re-elect Adams, and you will be voting for proven leadership in improving the state’s economy. Over the past year alone, seventy percent of the state’s workers have had increases in their wages, five thousand new jobs have been created, and six corporations have located their headquarters here. Most of the respondents in a recent poll said they believed that the economy is likely to continue to improve if Adams is reelected. Adams’s opponent, Zebulon, would lead our state in the wrong direction, because Zebulon disagrees with many of Adams’s economic policies.”
Discuss how well reasoned... etc.
正在尋求重新選舉為地方長官的Adams的廣告宣傳：
再次選舉Adams，你將為在提升本州經濟的過程中已被證實了的領導能力投票。僅在過去的一年中，全州有70％的工人的工資增加了，5000個新就業(yè)機會被創(chuàng)造，6個公司將他們的總部設在這里。最近的調查中多數(shù)回答者說他們相信如果Adams當選經濟將會繼續(xù)增長。Adams的競爭者Zebulon將把我們州引向錯誤的方向，因為Zebulon不同意Adams的多數(shù)經濟政策。
1. 數(shù)據(jù)vague，物價水平和工資哪個長的更快？5000個就業(yè)機會和總體失業(yè)水平相比是不是微不足道？六個公司總部設在這里，有沒有離開的？調查是由誰進行的，接受調查的又是誰，可信度怎么樣？
2. 就算經濟確實增長了也不一定是ADAMS的功勞
3. 以上兩點沒有說明，也就無法因為ZEBULON的經濟觀點與之相左而判定他上任就會使經濟下滑。
This political advertisement recommends re-electing Governor Adams because he has a proven leadership role in improving the state’s economy. In support of this reason the author cites these statistics: in the past year, most state workers’ wages have gone up; 5,000 new jobs have been created; and six corporations have located in the state. Another reason offered for re-electing Adams is a recent poll, which indicates that most respondents believe the state economy would continue to improve if he were re-elected. Finally, the author claims that rival Zebulon would harm the state’s economy because he disagrees with Adams’ fiscal policies. This argument is fraught with vague, oversimplified and unwarranted claims.
To begin with, the statistics are intended to support the main claim that the state is economically better off with Adams as governor. But these statistics are vague and oversimplified, and thus may distort the state’s overall economic picture. For example, state workers’ pay raises may have been minuscule and may not have kept up with cost of living or with pay for state workers in other states. Moreover, the 5,000 new jobs may have been too few to bring state unemployment rates down significantly; at the same time, many jobs may have been lost. Finally, the poll indicates that six new corporations located in the state, but fails to indicate if any left.
Next, the poll cited by the author is described in the vaguest possible terms. The ad does not indicate who conducted the poll, who responded, or how the poll was conducted. Until these questions are answered, the survey results are worthless as evidence for public opinion about Adams or his economic policies.
Finally, while we have only vague and possibly distorted evidence that the state is better off with Adams, we have absolutely no evidence that it would be worse off with Zebulon. Given that the state economy is good at the moment, none of the author’s reasons establishes that Adams is the cause of this. And neither do they establish that the state wouldn’t be even better off with someone else in office.
In conclusion, this argument is weak. To strengthen the argument, the author must provide additional information about the adequacy of state workers’ pay raises, the effect of the 5,000 jobs on the state’s employment picture, the overall growth of corporations in the state, and other features of the state economy. Also, the author must support the claims that Adams’ actions have caused any economic improvement and that in the future Adams will impart more economic benefit than would Zebulon.
“Re-elect Adams, and you will be voting for proven leadership in improving the state’s economy. Over the past year alone, seventy percent of the state’s workers have had increases in their wages, five thousand new jobs have been created, and six corporations have located their headquarters here. Most of the respondents in a recent poll said they believed that the economy is likely to continue to improve if Adams is reelected. Adams’s opponent, Zebulon, would lead our state in the wrong direction, because Zebulon disagrees with many of Adams’s economic policies.”
Discuss how well reasoned... etc.
正在尋求重新選舉為地方長官的Adams的廣告宣傳：
再次選舉Adams，你將為在提升本州經濟的過程中已被證實了的領導能力投票。僅在過去的一年中，全州有70％的工人的工資增加了，5000個新就業(yè)機會被創(chuàng)造，6個公司將他們的總部設在這里。最近的調查中多數(shù)回答者說他們相信如果Adams當選經濟將會繼續(xù)增長。Adams的競爭者Zebulon將把我們州引向錯誤的方向，因為Zebulon不同意Adams的多數(shù)經濟政策。
1. 數(shù)據(jù)vague，物價水平和工資哪個長的更快？5000個就業(yè)機會和總體失業(yè)水平相比是不是微不足道？六個公司總部設在這里，有沒有離開的？調查是由誰進行的，接受調查的又是誰，可信度怎么樣？
2. 就算經濟確實增長了也不一定是ADAMS的功勞
3. 以上兩點沒有說明，也就無法因為ZEBULON的經濟觀點與之相左而判定他上任就會使經濟下滑。
This political advertisement recommends re-electing Governor Adams because he has a proven leadership role in improving the state’s economy. In support of this reason the author cites these statistics: in the past year, most state workers’ wages have gone up; 5,000 new jobs have been created; and six corporations have located in the state. Another reason offered for re-electing Adams is a recent poll, which indicates that most respondents believe the state economy would continue to improve if he were re-elected. Finally, the author claims that rival Zebulon would harm the state’s economy because he disagrees with Adams’ fiscal policies. This argument is fraught with vague, oversimplified and unwarranted claims.
To begin with, the statistics are intended to support the main claim that the state is economically better off with Adams as governor. But these statistics are vague and oversimplified, and thus may distort the state’s overall economic picture. For example, state workers’ pay raises may have been minuscule and may not have kept up with cost of living or with pay for state workers in other states. Moreover, the 5,000 new jobs may have been too few to bring state unemployment rates down significantly; at the same time, many jobs may have been lost. Finally, the poll indicates that six new corporations located in the state, but fails to indicate if any left.
Next, the poll cited by the author is described in the vaguest possible terms. The ad does not indicate who conducted the poll, who responded, or how the poll was conducted. Until these questions are answered, the survey results are worthless as evidence for public opinion about Adams or his economic policies.
Finally, while we have only vague and possibly distorted evidence that the state is better off with Adams, we have absolutely no evidence that it would be worse off with Zebulon. Given that the state economy is good at the moment, none of the author’s reasons establishes that Adams is the cause of this. And neither do they establish that the state wouldn’t be even better off with someone else in office.
In conclusion, this argument is weak. To strengthen the argument, the author must provide additional information about the adequacy of state workers’ pay raises, the effect of the 5,000 jobs on the state’s employment picture, the overall growth of corporations in the state, and other features of the state economy. Also, the author must support the claims that Adams’ actions have caused any economic improvement and that in the future Adams will impart more economic benefit than would Zebulon.