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srinivasapriyan.r
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Sat May 04, 2013 9:49 am
The following appeared in the opinion section of a national newsmagazine:
"To reverse the deterioration of the postal service, the government should raise the price of postage stamps. This solution will no doubt prove effective, since the price increase will generate larger revenues and will also reduce the volume of mail, thereby eliminating the strain on the existing system and contributing to improved morale."
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion. (used with permission from mba.com)
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The argument states that the government should raise the price of the postage stamps to increase the revenue, but the argument does not consider the negative effects of this plan or does not consider other options of increasing the revenue. So this argument is flawed.
First, the argument states that price of postal stamps be increased, but does not say by how much. What if the the price is doubled? This might actually decrease the revenue even further because majority of the postal services' customers might choose other options such as, private postal services. Second, increasing the price of the postage stamps is not the only way to increase the revenue. Instead, the government can introduce new services in the postal service such as international postal service, currency exchange etc. Finally, The argument states that price increase will reduce the volume of mail thereby eliminating the strain on the existing system and contribute to improved morale. New trainees/interns/part timers can be hired to reduce the strain on the existing system without reducing the revenue of the postal service.
For these reasons, the argument is not sound or convincing. If the above given points are addressed, the argument will become sound and convincing.
"To reverse the deterioration of the postal service, the government should raise the price of postage stamps. This solution will no doubt prove effective, since the price increase will generate larger revenues and will also reduce the volume of mail, thereby eliminating the strain on the existing system and contributing to improved morale."
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion. (used with permission from mba.com)
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The argument states that the government should raise the price of the postage stamps to increase the revenue, but the argument does not consider the negative effects of this plan or does not consider other options of increasing the revenue. So this argument is flawed.
First, the argument states that price of postal stamps be increased, but does not say by how much. What if the the price is doubled? This might actually decrease the revenue even further because majority of the postal services' customers might choose other options such as, private postal services. Second, increasing the price of the postage stamps is not the only way to increase the revenue. Instead, the government can introduce new services in the postal service such as international postal service, currency exchange etc. Finally, The argument states that price increase will reduce the volume of mail thereby eliminating the strain on the existing system and contribute to improved morale. New trainees/interns/part timers can be hired to reduce the strain on the existing system without reducing the revenue of the postal service.
For these reasons, the argument is not sound or convincing. If the above given points are addressed, the argument will become sound and convincing.
