A politician argues: “We must implement my economic plan. If we don’t, our nation will fall into a terrible depression and millions will suffer.” This statement primarily represents:

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In this question, we examine the rhetorical strategy used by a politician when they threaten serious negative outcomes to push support for a plan.
Option a: Hasty generalization. This would involve drawing a broad conclusion from an insufficient or unrepresentative sample. The quote does not rely on limited evidence to generalize; it uses a fear-based forecast rather than a faulty sample-based claim.
Option b: False authority. This would occur if the argument relied on an authority who is not actually an expert on the topic, or on an appealing source outside their competence. The statement does not cite or rely on an expert credential, so this isn’t the central tactic here.
Option c: Circular reasoning. This would mean the conclusion is contained within the premise, or the reasoning would assume what it tries to prove. The quote does not reuse its conclusion as part of the justification; instead, it warns of dire consequences to motivate action.
Option d: Appeal to fear. This is a classic scare tactic: presenting a catastrophic outcome (a terrible depression and millions suffering) to compel agreement or action, rather than offering evidence-based justification. The measure is framed as necessary to avoid catastrophe, which is characteristic of an appeal to fear.
Each incorrect option relies on a different logical fallacy or flaw, while the chosen option centers on leveraging fear to influence judgment rather than on empirical support or logical structure.

A politician argues: “We must implement my economic plan. If we don’t, our nation will fall into a terrible depression and millions will suffer.” This statement primarily represents:

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