Exam 11: How Are Propositions of Policy Argued

A minor repair must be a natural consequence of that which presently exists, rather than a consequence of a structural or attitudinal change.

Assume that the advocate has offered the following arguments on behalf of the proposition: The Federal Government should impose minimum standards for teacher certification. I. Teachers are poorly prepared in academic subjects. II. Of students graduating with education degrees in the past five years, over 40% cannot pass eighth grade equivalency tests in spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and basic mathematical skills. III. Poorly prepared teachers produce poorly taught students. IV. Teacher licensing standards in most state demand too much time spent in "education" courses and not enough time spent in academic subject matter and basic skills. -Which argument in the example is a significance argument?

In arguing against propositions of policy, it is usually wisest for the opponent to argue against both the reason for change and the consequences of change.

Assume that the advocate's proposal for a policy in response to the problem of the high costs of college text books offers the following proposal for a textbook rental system. I. Students will be charged a rental fee of 30% of the wholesale price for each rented textbook. II. Faculty will be required to select textbooks for a three-year academic calendar before requesting new books or a change in textbooks. An earlier change in textbooks must be approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. III. Beginning in Fall 2012, students may rent textbooks with an option to buy at the end of the semester. IV. The Campus Bookstore will be responsible for providing textbooks and managing the rental system. Textbook rentals will be available only from the Campus Bookstore. -In the proposed policy example, the change is found in?

Assume that the advocate has offered the following arguments on behalf of the proposition: Our school should institute a system of textbook rentals for all courses. I. The cost of college textbooks has increased by over 200% in the last decade. II. A combination of the sale of used textbooks by university bookstores and the practice of "bundling" software and audio-video packages is responsible for the increasing costs of college textbooks. III. Authors of college textbooks, such as the one you are using in this course, receive 10% in royalties on the wholesale price of each new textbook sold. IV. College students, already paying increased tuition and housing fees, go further into debt to pay for increasingly expensive textbooks. -Which claim in the example suggests inherency?

The only value claim an advocate of a policy proposition must make is the one which evaluates the workability of her proposed policy.

Assume that the advocate's proposal for change relative to the problem described in the example above is: I. All teachers with five years or less seniority and all teachers seeking employment in the public school system will be required to pass a basic competency examination in academic subjects and basic skills. II. The Department of Education with the approval and assistance of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers will design and administer competency tests. III. A reasonable fee, not to exceed the cost of designing, administering, and processing the test, will be charged to each applicant for certification. IV. Those teachers presently in the school system with less than five years seniority must pass the test or face revocation of their teaching licenses. New teachers will not receive teaching licenses until they have passed the test. -In the example above, the change is found in which part of the proposal?

One option available to you as an opponent of a policy proposition is to examine the underlying philosophy of the advocate's case for a policy change. Using this strategy, you would begin with the value hierarchy in which the advocate seems to have placed her proposal for change and develop arguments about the appropriateness of this value hierarchy. This is the opposition strategy of

Assume that the advocate has offered the following arguments on behalf of the proposition: Our school should institute a system of textbook rentals for all courses. I. The cost of college textbooks has increased by over 200% in the last decade. II. A combination of the sale of used textbooks by university bookstores and the practice of "bundling" software and audio-video packages is responsible for the increasing costs of college textbooks. III. Authors of college textbooks, such as the one you are using in this course, receive 10% in royalties on the wholesale price of each new textbook sold. IV. College students, already paying increased tuition and housing fees, go further into debt to pay for increasingly expensive textbooks. -Which claim in the example suggests significance?

An opponent's "circumvention arguments" in policy argumentation are based on the premise that people resist change.

Assume that the advocate has offered the following arguments on behalf of the proposition: The Federal Government should impose minimum standards for teacher certification. I. Teachers are poorly prepared in academic subjects. II. Of students graduating with education degrees in the past five years, over 40% cannot pass eighth grade equivalency tests in spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and basic mathematical skills. III. Poorly prepared teachers produce poorly taught students. IV. Teacher licensing standards in most state demand too much time spent in "education" courses and not enough time spent in academic subject matter and basic skills. -Which argument in the example describes harm?

One option for case development for advocating a policy proposition is to use the "goals-criteria" approach to case development. If you selected this option, you would use techniques of value argumentation to begin by examining what is presently valued by your audience and the goals that have been set to achieve this value.

A comparative advantage case is a strategy used by the opponent to offer a counterproposal or minor repair to the advocate's reason for change arguments.

A "disparity" is a problem or difference between the way things exist now and some more ideal future state.

In the traditional pattern of organization, the advocate argues the three stock issues for policy argumentation in the order in which they are numbered in the text.

The subsidiary effects of the advocate's proposal constitute a warrant for change, and their absence renders the advocate's case non-prima facie.

Assume that the advocate has offered the following arguments on behalf of the proposition: Our school should institute a system of textbook rentals for all courses. I. The cost of college textbooks has increased by over 200% in the last decade. II. A combination of the sale of used textbooks by university bookstores and the practice of "bundling" software and audio-video packages is responsible for the increasing costs of college textbooks. III. Authors of college textbooks, such as the one you are using in this course, receive 10% in royalties on the wholesale price of each new textbook sold. IV. College students, already paying increased tuition and housing fees, go further into debt to pay for increasingly expensive textbooks. -Which claim in the example suggests effect?

Assume that the advocate's proposal for a policy in response to the problem of the high costs of college text books offers the following proposal for a textbook rental system. I. Students will be charged a rental fee of 30% of the wholesale price for each rented textbook. II. Faculty will be required to select textbooks for a three-year academic calendar before requesting new books or a change in textbooks. An earlier change in textbooks must be approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. III. Beginning in Fall 2012, students may rent textbooks with an option to buy at the end of the semester. IV. The Campus Bookstore will be responsible for providing textbooks and managing the rental system. Textbook rentals will be available only from the Campus Bookstore. -In the proposed policy example, the mechanism is found in?

The advocate must establish the "workability" of her proposal. As the opponent, you have the strategic option of challenging this workability. Which of the following are ways you might challenge workability?

Assume that the advocate's proposal for change relative to the problem described in the example above is: I. All teachers with five years or less seniority and all teachers seeking employment in the public school system will be required to pass a basic competency examination in academic subjects and basic skills. II. The Department of Education with the approval and assistance of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers will design and administer competency tests. III. A reasonable fee, not to exceed the cost of designing, administering, and processing the test, will be charged to each applicant for certification. IV. Those teachers presently in the school system with less than five years seniority must pass the test or face revocation of their teaching licenses. New teachers will not receive teaching licenses until they have passed the test. -In the example above, the enforcement of the proposal is found in which part of the proposal?