Question

read the scenario about a formal discussion.
a mayoral candidate is having an open discussion with voters about a proposed plan to fund welfare programs by raising property taxes. the candidate strongly supports the plan and speaks forcefully about it. she focuses on the importance of a social safety net by asking voters to imagine needing the services themselves. she avoids the topic of the states budget concerns and asking voters to hold their questions and concerns until the very end.
which statement best describes what kind of a speaker the political candidate is?
○ the candidate is an effective speaker because she shares others opinions and viewpoints and appeals to voters emotions.
○ the candidate is an effective speaker because she takes a strong position on the issue.
○ the candidate is an ineffective speaker because she does not address her personal opinion on the states budget concerns.
○ the candidate is an ineffective speaker because she does not support her opinions with facts.

Explanation:

• Analyze Option 1: The candidate does not share others’ opinions (she has a strong position) and the focus on imagining services is emotional appeal, but she avoids questions, so not effective. Eliminate.
• Analyze Option 2: She takes a strong position (supports the plan forcefully), which is a key trait of an effective speaker in this context.
• Analyze Option 3: The state’s budget concerns are not her personal opinion topic, and avoiding questions is a bigger issue, but the reasoning here is incorrect as it misframes the issue. Eliminate.
• Analyze Option 4: The problem is about her handling of discussion (avoiding questions, not sharing facts? No, the main issue is avoiding questions and not addressing concerns, but the option’s reasoning is off. The candidate’s issue is avoiding voter questions/concerns, but the option says she doesn’t support with facts. However, re - evaluating: she appeals emotionally, doesn’t address budget (a valid concern) and tells voters to hold questions. But the best fit is Option 4? Wait, no. Wait, the candidate: she speaks forcefully (takes a strong position), but she avoids the budget topic and tells voters to hold questions. Wait, let's re - examine:

Wait, the candidate’s actions: she has a strong position (good for being effective in stating her view), but she avoids a relevant topic (budget) and tells voters to hold questions. But the options:

Option 1: Says she shares others’ opinions – she doesn’t, she has a strong position. So wrong.

Option 2: Says she’s effective because she takes a strong position. But she also avoids questions and a topic. But maybe the question is about the options given. Wait, maybe I made a mistake. Let's re - read the scenario:

Candidate: supports plan, speaks forcefully, focuses on social safety net (emotional appeal), avoids state’s budget concerns, asks voters to hold questions until end.

Now, the options:

Option 1: “shares others’ opinions” – she doesn’t, she has her own strong position. So wrong.

Option 2: “takes a strong position” – she does. But is that enough? But she avoids a topic and silences questions. But maybe the other options are more wrong.

Option 3: “does not address her personal opinion on state’s budget” – the state’s budget is not her personal opinion, it's a separate concern. So the reasoning is wrong.

Option 4: “does not support her opinions with facts” – she uses emotional appeal (asking to imagine needing services) but no facts. And she avoids budget (a factual concern) and silences questions. So she’s ineffective because she doesn’t back her opinions with facts (she uses emotion, not facts, and avoids factual topics like budget). So Option 4 is correct.

Wait, let's re - check:

The candidate’s argument: she says the plan is good (strong position), but to support it, she uses emotional appeal (imagine needing services) instead of facts (like how the tax increase will be managed, how it fits with the budget). She avoids the budget topic (which is a factual concern) and tells voters to hold questions. So she doesn’t support her opinion (that the plan is good) with facts (like budget impact, tax revenue projections, etc.). So she’s an ineffective speaker because she doesn’t support her opinions with facts. So Option 4 is correct.

Answer:

D. The candidate is an ineffective speaker because she does not support her opinions with facts.