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thegmatexperience
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:29 pm
Hello,
another essay. Hope to get some critique!
Details:
non-native Englis speaker
522 words
Time: 30 min
The following appeared in a research paper written for an introductory economics course:
"For the past century, an increase in the number of residential building permits issued per month in a particular region has been a reliable indicator of coming improvements to that region's economy. If the monthly number of residential building permits issued rises consistently for a few months, the local unemployment rate almost always falls and economic production increases. This well-established connection reveals an effective method by which a regional government can end a local economic downturn: relax regulations governing all construction so that many more building permits can be issued."
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
In the preceding statement, tha author claims that a local economic donwturn can be prevented by the government by relaxing regulations of building permits that are issued.
Though this claim may well have merit, the author presents a poorly reasoned argument, based on several questionable premises and assumptions, and based solely on the evidence the author offers, his argument of an economic improvement by the rise of building permits issued cannot be accepted as valid.
The primary issue with the author's reasoning lies in his unsubstantiated premises.
He states that in a particular region residential building permits issued per month have been a good indicator of the region's economic improvement. While that may be true the residential building permits could only be issued for people at the age of 80 years and more hardly contributing to the region's economy.
He also says that while a consistent, monthly increasing number of residential building permits issued was observed the unemoployment rate decreased almost always and the economic production rose. The above example is valid for this premise as well. Very old people who have stopped working for years may have purchased these permits and hardly contributed to the decrease of the unemployment rate of this particulr region.
The author's premises, the basis for his argument, lack any legitimate evidentiary support and render his conclusion unacceptable.
In addition, the author makes several assumptions that remain unproven.
He arguments that residential building permits are directly connected with a region's economic upturn. What the author doesn't point out is that an economic upturn in a region can have various factors. While the number of permits rises the government could also have subsidized a special key product for this reason so that there could have been an economic rally.
He also infers a decreasing unemployment rate from an increasing number of building permits. Again, unemployment rate is a complex concept and may have various factors like subsidy of particular companies or branches in this firm in order to increase employment.
The author weakens his argument by making assumptions and failing to provide explication of the links between rising numbers of resdential building permits and an improvement of the region'S economy he assumes exist.
While the author has included various drawbacks into his argument's premises and assumptions, that is not to say that his entire argument is wihtout base.
If the author would have exemplified the improvement of economy like an increase of the regions GDP or named specific factors how the residential building permits issued could have led to an decrease of unemployment rate the author could have strengthened his statement.
Though there are several issues with the author's reasoning at present, with research and clarification, he could improve his argument significantly.
In sum, the author's illogical argument is based on unsupported premises and unsubstantiated assumptions that render his conclusion invalid.
If the author truly hopes to change his readers' minds on the issue, he would have to largely restructure his argument, fix the flaws in his logic, clearly explicate his assumptions, and provide evidentiary support. Without these things, his poorly reasoned argument will likely convince few people.
another essay. Hope to get some critique!
Details:
non-native Englis speaker
522 words
Time: 30 min
The following appeared in a research paper written for an introductory economics course:
"For the past century, an increase in the number of residential building permits issued per month in a particular region has been a reliable indicator of coming improvements to that region's economy. If the monthly number of residential building permits issued rises consistently for a few months, the local unemployment rate almost always falls and economic production increases. This well-established connection reveals an effective method by which a regional government can end a local economic downturn: relax regulations governing all construction so that many more building permits can be issued."
Discuss how well reasoned . . .etc.
In the preceding statement, tha author claims that a local economic donwturn can be prevented by the government by relaxing regulations of building permits that are issued.
Though this claim may well have merit, the author presents a poorly reasoned argument, based on several questionable premises and assumptions, and based solely on the evidence the author offers, his argument of an economic improvement by the rise of building permits issued cannot be accepted as valid.
The primary issue with the author's reasoning lies in his unsubstantiated premises.
He states that in a particular region residential building permits issued per month have been a good indicator of the region's economic improvement. While that may be true the residential building permits could only be issued for people at the age of 80 years and more hardly contributing to the region's economy.
He also says that while a consistent, monthly increasing number of residential building permits issued was observed the unemoployment rate decreased almost always and the economic production rose. The above example is valid for this premise as well. Very old people who have stopped working for years may have purchased these permits and hardly contributed to the decrease of the unemployment rate of this particulr region.
The author's premises, the basis for his argument, lack any legitimate evidentiary support and render his conclusion unacceptable.
In addition, the author makes several assumptions that remain unproven.
He arguments that residential building permits are directly connected with a region's economic upturn. What the author doesn't point out is that an economic upturn in a region can have various factors. While the number of permits rises the government could also have subsidized a special key product for this reason so that there could have been an economic rally.
He also infers a decreasing unemployment rate from an increasing number of building permits. Again, unemployment rate is a complex concept and may have various factors like subsidy of particular companies or branches in this firm in order to increase employment.
The author weakens his argument by making assumptions and failing to provide explication of the links between rising numbers of resdential building permits and an improvement of the region'S economy he assumes exist.
While the author has included various drawbacks into his argument's premises and assumptions, that is not to say that his entire argument is wihtout base.
If the author would have exemplified the improvement of economy like an increase of the regions GDP or named specific factors how the residential building permits issued could have led to an decrease of unemployment rate the author could have strengthened his statement.
Though there are several issues with the author's reasoning at present, with research and clarification, he could improve his argument significantly.
In sum, the author's illogical argument is based on unsupported premises and unsubstantiated assumptions that render his conclusion invalid.
If the author truly hopes to change his readers' minds on the issue, he would have to largely restructure his argument, fix the flaws in his logic, clearly explicate his assumptions, and provide evidentiary support. Without these things, his poorly reasoned argument will likely convince few people.
