Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Evaluating Argument Relevance Questions and Answers 5

Question 1

Question: Should private gun ownership be more strictly regulated in the US?
Argument: The Second Amendment was written at a time when firearms technology was vastly different from today.
Is this a strong argument?

Accepted Answer

No, because the historical context of the amendment is a separate issue from whether stricter regulation is warranted now.

Answer

The argument is weak because the historical origins of the Second Amendment do not, by themselves, constitute a reason to support or oppose stricter regulation today.

Question 2

Question: Should standardized testing be eliminated from college admissions?
Argument: Standardized test scores correlate with family income, suggesting they measure socioeconomic advantage rather than academic potential.
Is this a strong argument?

Accepted Answer

Yes, because it provides a directly relevant critique of whether standardized tests measure what they are supposed to measure for admissions purposes.

Answer

The argument is strong because if tests measure wealth rather than academic ability, they are not a valid tool for the purpose stated—assessing academic potential for admissions.

Question 3

Question: Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting for national elections?
Argument: Ranked-choice voting has been used successfully in several US cities and states without causing voter confusion.
Is this a strong argument?

Accepted Answer

Yes, because domestic evidence of successful implementation directly addresses concerns about feasibility at the national level.

Answer

The argument is strong because real-world US examples of successful implementation are directly relevant to assessing the feasibility of national adoption.

Question 4

Question: Should junk food advertising be banned during children's television programming?
Argument: Children under age 8 often cannot distinguish between advertising content and regular programming.
Is this a strong argument?

Accepted Answer

Yes, because the inability to recognize ads as persuasive content makes children a uniquely vulnerable audience, directly justifying protective regulation.

Answer

The argument is strong because it identifies a specific developmental vulnerability in young children that is directly relevant to whether they can be protected by advertising restrictions.

Question 5

Question: Should cryptocurrency be accepted as legal tender by the US government?
Argument: Bitcoin's price has increased dramatically over the past decade, making early investors very wealthy.
Is this a strong argument?

Accepted Answer

No, because past investment returns are irrelevant to whether a currency is suitable for use as stable legal tender.

Answer

The argument is weak because investment appreciation does not address the stability and reliability required for a legal tender currency used in everyday transactions.

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Practice Test

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Practice Test

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Evaluating Argument Relevance Questions and Answers 5