critical thinking

Q1- Statement: There is greater progress in science, environmental protection, and education when nations cooperate rather than work alone.

- Proposed Assumption: International cooperation in scientific and educational programs will lead from tyranny to free societies.

Assumption made

Assumption not made

Q2- Statement: Since more and more high school students plan to go to college, many new college buildings must be constructed.

- Proposed Assumption: Existing college buildings are already overcrowded.

Assumption made

Assumption not made

Q3- Statement: If both gasoline prices and oil company profits rise dramatically, consumers would benefit financially if the government eliminated taxes on gasoline and replaced the lost revenue through increased taxes on oil company profits.

- Proposed Assumption: Eliminating taxes on gasoline would benefit consumers financially by reversing some of the rise in gasoline prices.

Assumption made

Assumption not made

Q4- Statement: If both gasoline prices and oil company profits rise dramatically, consumers would benefit financially if the government eliminated taxes on gasoline and replaced the lost revenue through increased taxes on oil company profits.

- Proposed Assumption: Other things being equal, increasing taxes on oil company profits would benefit consumers financially.

Assumption made

Assumption not made

Q5- Each of many retail businesses in Metroville is legally required to be licensed and pay an annual registration fee. No other businesses must pay annual registration fees. Every year, any business in Metroville that is legally required to be licensed must also pay local income taxes or local property taxes, or both. Therefore,

- Every business in Metroville that must pay an annual registration fee but no property tax in a given year must pay income tax in that year.

Conclusion follows

Conclusion does not follow

Q6- Each of many retail businesses in Metroville is legally required to be licensed and pay an annual registration fee. No other businesses must pay annual registration fees. Every year, any business in Metroville that is legally required to be licensed must also pay local income taxes or local property taxes, or both. Therefore,

- Any business in Metroville that is legally required to be licensed must pay an annual registration fee.

Conclusion follows

Conclusion does not follow

Q7- All radicals are members of small minor political parties. No patriotic is a radical. Therefore,

- No members of a small minor political party is patriotic citizen.

Conclusion follows

Conclusion does not follow

Q8- All radicals are members of small minor political parties. No patriotic is a radical. Therefore,

- Some members of small minor political parties are unpatriotic citizens.

Conclusion follows

Conclusion does not follow

Q9/ Should the government continue to pay farmers the cost of soil conservation practices on their own land?

- No; soil conservation practices are easy and inexpensive; they are likely to more than repay farmers for their investment by increasing the yield, and thus the income, from their land.

1-Strong Argument.

2- Weak Argument.

Q10/ Should our countrys government, and the state and local government, be limited to spending no more than their income from various sources during any given year?

- No; such rigid restriction against even prudent borrowing would seriously limit our growth as nation and create an economic depression.

1- Strong Argument.

2- Weak Argument.

Q11/ Should high standards of purity for the nations air and water be maintained, even the result is higher prices to the consumer for electricity and manufactured goods?

- No; a slight lowering of air and water purity standards will have few ill effects, but further inflation of prices for electricity and manufactured products will prove disastrous.

1- Strong Argument.

2- Weak Argument.