A municipality announced that to avoid a projected budget deficit next fiscal year, it must either raise property taxes by 15 percent or cut funding for public parks by half. The city treasurer concluded that because raising property taxes by 15 percent would be deeply unpopular with residents, the city has no choice but to reduce the parks budget by half.
Which of the following best describes a flaw in the city treasurer's reasoning?
- It falsely assumes that raising property taxes and cutting park funding are the only available methods to avoid a budget deficit.Cevap
- BIt assumes without proof that cutting funding for public parks will cause no dissatisfaction among city residents.
- CIt overlooks the possibility that a 15 percent tax increase would generate sufficient revenue to cover the deficit.
- DIt relies on a premise that merely restates the final conclusion in different words.
- EIt expresses an excessively critical attitude toward the city's parks department.
Cevap
The argument falsely assumes that raising property taxes and cutting park funding are the only available methods to avoid a budget deficit.
The treasurer's argument presents a false dilemma by treating property tax hikes and park budget cuts as the only two conceivable solutions to the budget deficit. In reality, the city might reduce spending in other departments, seek alternative revenues, or utilize financial reserves. Assuming without justification that only these two options exist constitutes a classic false choice vulnerability.
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False Dilemma Fallacy