“The most effective way to increase government revenue would be to raise the…
2023
“The most effective way to increase government revenue would be to raise the corporate income tax, since opinion polls show widespread support for this approach.” Which of the following fallacies is committed in the above statement?
Answer: D. Appeal to Majority — ConceptAn informal relevance fallacy occurs when a conclusion is supported by a consideration that does not logically establish it. In an appeal to majority…
- A.
Appeal to emotion
- B.
Slippery slope
- C.
Appeal to inappropriate authority
- D.
Appeal to Majority
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
An informal relevance fallacy occurs when a conclusion is supported by a consideration that does not logically establish it.
In an appeal to majority (argumentum ad populum), popularity or widespread approval is used in place of evidence that a claim is true, good, or effective.
Application
The statement calls a corporate income-tax increase the most effective revenue measure and supports that claim only with opinion polls showing widespread approval. Public support measures popularity; it does not establish revenue effectiveness of the policy.
Contrast
Appeal to emotion relies on feelings such as fear, pity, or anger as persuasive support.
Slippery slope predicts an unsupported chain of increasingly serious consequences from an initial step.
Appeal to inappropriate authority relies on testimony from a source that lacks relevant expertise.
Cross-check
If the opinion-poll clause is removed, the claim has no evidence about fiscal outcomes. That confirms that popular approval is being substituted for evidence of effectiveness.
Therefore, the fallacy is Appeal to Majority.