Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Evaluating Argument Strength Questions and Answers 2

Question 1

Question: 'Should governments invest heavily in nuclear energy?' Strong or weak: 'Nuclear power plants create long-term radioactive waste storage problems that last thousands of years and pose generational risks.'

Accepted Answer

Strong — long-term radioactive waste with multi-generational impact is a substantive and directly relevant concern.

Answer

Weak — nuclear waste can be stored safely, so this concern is obsolete.

Answer

Weak — the argument only focuses on the negative without acknowledging nuclear energy's benefits.

Answer

Strong — but only if the government plans to build more than 10 plants.

Question 2

Question: 'Should employers be able to monitor employees' emails and messages?' Strong or weak: 'Employee privacy is a fundamental right that should not be violated by employer surveillance without cause.'

Accepted Answer

Strong — privacy rights in the workplace are a substantive and directly relevant ethical concern.

Answer

Weak — employers own company systems, so employees have no reasonable privacy expectation.

Answer

Weak — privacy arguments are emotional rather than legal.

Answer

Strong — but only if the employees are unaware of the monitoring.

Question 3

Question: 'Should governments make organ donation opt-out rather than opt-in?' Strong or weak: 'An opt-out system has increased organ donation rates significantly in countries that have adopted it.'

Accepted Answer

Strong — empirical evidence of increased donation rates directly addresses the policy's effectiveness.

Answer

Weak — other countries' experiences are not relevant to any specific government's policy.

Answer

Weak — increased rates may be due to other factors, not the opt-out system.

Answer

Strong — any increase in donation rates automatically justifies the policy change.

Question 4

Question: 'Should the school week be shortened to four days?' Strong or weak: 'My neighbor's child loved going to school only four days a week when they tried it.'

Accepted Answer

Weak — a single personal anecdote is insufficient evidence for a broad educational policy decision.

Answer

Strong — anecdotal evidence can represent broader sentiment.

Answer

Strong — parental opinions are the most important input for school policy.

Answer

Weak — neighbor's children are not experts in education policy.

Question 5

Question: 'Should governments implement carbon taxes?' Strong or weak: 'A carbon tax would generate significant government revenue that could be invested in renewable energy infrastructure.'

Accepted Answer

Strong — generating revenue for clean energy investment directly addresses both the fiscal and environmental dimensions of the policy.

Answer

Weak — taxes always reduce economic growth, so revenue arguments cannot justify them.

Answer

Weak — the government might not use carbon tax revenue for renewable energy.

Answer

Strong — but only if the tax rate exceeds $50 per tonne of CO2.

Question 6

Question: 'Should universities prioritize applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds?' Strong or weak: 'Research shows that students from disadvantaged backgrounds who attend university are significantly more likely to lift their families out of poverty than peers who don't attend.'

Accepted Answer

Strong — empirical evidence of socioeconomic impact directly addresses the social justice justification for the policy.

Answer

Weak — university places are limited and should go to the most academically prepared students.

Answer

Weak — poverty and education are complex issues that cannot be addressed through admissions policy.

Answer

Strong — universities should admit whomever will most benefit financially from attendance.