Description
Book SynopsisThis timely book discusses the numerous forms of flawed reasoning that currently plague the realm of public discourse both in the United States and abroad. This book provides and develops a working knowledge of the skills needed to distinguish between rhetorical claims and evidence based claims. The author presents and shows how to debug numerous currently relevant real world examples. Innovative discussion questions provide the reader an opportunity to practice and be actively involved. The objective throughout is pedagogy, not partisanship: to help the reader better understand current events, better evaluate public policy, identify its rhetoric and that of partisan debates.
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction: An Evidence-Based versus a Rhetoric-Based Approach to Understanding Public Policy
Part 1: Logic and Evidence versus Fallacies and Rhetoric
OneWhat Is an Evidence-Based Approach? Can Non-Existence be Proven?
TwoWhat Is an Evidence-Based Approach? Is Non-Proportionality Discrimination?
ThreeBasic Logic and Fallacies: Necessary versus Sufficient Conditions
FourEvidence, Economic Data, and How to Find It
FiveMore Fallacies
SixEvidence: What it Is, What it Is Not
SevenFallacies Based on Personal Attack
Part 2: Basic Knowledge for Decision-Making and Evaluating Policy
EightMaking Good Decisions and Good Policy: Relative versus Absolute, Opportunity Costs, and Marginalism
NineCertainty versus Uncertainty: Multiple Factors, Multiple Uncertain Outcomes, Polls and Their Interpretation
TenIndividual Preferences and Opportunities, and the State’s Role: Capitalism, Communism, (Democratic) Socialism, and the Welfare State
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
