A Politician Campaigns on a Platform of Eliminating Welfare Benefits

question 47

Essay

A politician campaigns on a platform of eliminating welfare benefits. One ad used by politician says: "Receipt of welfare benefits leads to poor school performance: People who receive welfare benefits have, on average, lower grades than people who do not receive welfare benefits." Construct an argument to challenge this causal reasoning. First, give three examples that drive home the point that association does not establish causation. Then, construct a plausible alterative explanation for low grades that does not involve an effect of welfare benefits on grades, but which does allow for their association.

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Definitions:

Straight Rebuy

The process of reordering an existing product or service from the same supplier without seeking new bids or looking at other options.

Corporate Express Catalog

Corporate Express Catalog was a comprehensive listing of products offered by Corporate Express, a company providing office supplies, which has since been acquired by Staples.

Administrative Assistant

A role primarily focused on supporting an organization's staff through clerical and administrative tasks, facilitating smooth operations.

Buy-Class Situation

A classification that categorizes purchase situations into three types: new task, modified rebuy, and straight rebuy, based on the familiarity and experience with the purchase.