CHAPTER 16: ARGUMENTATION IN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
In this chapter argumentation is applied to three major phases of the sphere of political argumentation.
This chapter can be used to illustrate forms of support in argumentation, the use of refutation, and the
importance of values and credibility. Committee hearings in many ways reflect the argumentation of the
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. In considering political argumentation it is useful to remember that
2. In its broadest sense, political argumentation is
3. One of the defining characteristics of political argument is that it
4. Initially, political claims are
5. Claims and issues in political argumentation change as argumentation emerges because
6. Most political claims do not become policy and most that do
7. A major argumentative purpose of political hearings is to
8. Relevant to refutation style, many cite what they call the first cardinal rule of politics:
9. Argumentation in political campaigns often becomes mostly focused on
10. The kind of credibility that most often causes problems for candidates is
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. Identify and discuss the typical claims in government and politics, and describe how they emerge.
2. Describe the role of argumentation, including refutation, in government hearings.
EXERCISES/PROJECTS
1. Attend a committee hearing of a campus or local government group. Write a short analysis of the
argumentation used there. To what extent does it reflect the principles of committee hearings discussed in
2. Attend a meeting of a special interest group in your town or on your campus. Choose a meeting
centered on a single issue. The issue could be something global, such as nuclear waste disposal, or
3. Interview a person who is or has been a member of a public decision making body. Ask him or her to
discuss how arguments are stated and refuted in that body. Ask for permission to attend a meeting and
4. Choose a current public controversy at your university, in your city, or your state. With a partner,