Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Evaluating Argument Relevance 4

Question 1

Statement: 'Should the death penalty be abolished in all US states?' Argument: 'Yes, because studies have found no consistent evidence that capital punishment deters violent crime more effectively than life imprisonment.' Is this argument strong or weak?

Accepted Answer

Strong, because it directly challenges a major rationale used to justify capital punishment

Answer

The argument is strong because deterrence is a central justification for the death penalty, and evidence against it is directly relevant.

Question 2

Statement: 'Should all US citizens be required to vote?' Argument: 'No, because forcing citizens to vote violates the freedom to abstain, which is itself a form of political expression.' Is this argument strong or weak?

Accepted Answer

Strong, because it identifies a rights-based conflict directly relevant to compulsory voting

Answer

The argument is strong because it directly addresses a constitutional tension at the heart of the mandatory voting debate.

Question 3

Statement: 'Should standardized testing be eliminated from college admissions?' Argument: 'Yes, because the SAT was originally developed to identify military officer candidates, not college readiness.' Is this argument strong or weak?

Accepted Answer

Weak, because the test's original purpose does not determine its current validity for admissions

Answer

The argument is weak because the historical origin of a test does not determine whether it is currently a valid measure of college readiness.

Question 4

Statement: 'Should ride-sharing companies be required to classify drivers as employees rather than contractors?' Argument: 'Yes, because employee classification entitles drivers to benefits like overtime pay, health insurance, and unemployment protections.' Is this argument strong or weak?

Accepted Answer

Strong, because it identifies concrete protections directly at stake in the classification decision

Answer

The argument is strong because it specifies real, relevant legal benefits that the classification change would confer on drivers.

Question 5

Statement: 'Should the US require a national ID card for all citizens?' Argument: 'No, because other countries use national ID cards and still have high rates of identity theft.' Is this argument strong or weak?

Accepted Answer

Weak, because identity theft rates abroad may reflect many unrelated factors

Answer

The argument is weak because correlating identity theft rates in other countries to a US national ID proposal ignores many confounding variables.

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Practice Test

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Practice Test

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Evaluating Argument Relevance 4