Name: ___________________________________Class: ___________________
Argument Structure
The basic argument starts with an idea or thesis followed by examples or evidence, then a summation
about why it applies to the case.
argument ---evidence ---summary
Add in different levels as you apply the case to the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Individual
City
State
Country
International
These simple levels allows the students to brainstorm more matter and substantive into their argument.
How does this event affect the person and their family? What will happen to their city? What will the
government/state do? How will this impact the country? Finally, what is the international
ramifications? These questions will form the foundation of argument development in your students.
The Questions Check List
Political
This deals with anything with government or voting. The issues can be within the country or
international.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What will the individual do in the situation?
What impact will the local/city government have or it will have on them?
How does this affect the country’s working?
What will other countries thing?
Government is for the people and by the people, is the government in control or the people?
Anything to do with the form of government falls under political and should be applied.
Social
Anything to do with class structure or the set-up of the society.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What effect will this have on the social class of the individual?
What will the city end up working like under this paradigm?
How will the government react to this?
Will it create a class struggle?
Will it end the cycle of poverty?
How will the International community react?
Social issues can be poverty, education, jobs, and status. The key to these argument types is to get
your students thinking about it.
Economic
These are the money arguments.
1. What will this do the individual’s bottom line?
Name: ___________________________________Class: ___________________
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Will the family have more money or less?
Does this create inflation?
What impact on the GDP of the country?
How does the government benefit?
Does this increase or decrease foreign investment?
Economic arguments can be mechanism attacks to see if the model will function over time.
Anything to do with money or the creation of money is an economic argument.
Morality
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Is it for the greater good?
Does this make the people choose to be good or bad?
What would the religious leaders say about this?
How does the city benefit from this?
What effect will this have on government policies?
Does this blend religion into state governments (people do not like religion in government as it
creates blind faith situations allowing leaders to do as they please)?
7. What will the international community think about these actions?
8. How does it affect the country image?
Morality arguments come down to is it a good thing or bad thing? How good or bad will it be? The
good of the many is as important as the few.
Cultural
1. Does this benefit society’s traditions?
2. Will this change the way individuals act in society?
3. Will it create a class war or change the culture in a bad way?
4. In some views, any change to cultural tradition is a bad thing. Does this make the city a better
place?
5. Will the government change radically from this? Will this alter the international community’s
image of your country?
Sometimes cultural arguments look at a loss of tradition as bad or can be a movement to evolve
which could be good. It’s how you phrase it.