Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Nov 2007:30 AM PST
-08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
06 Nov 2016, 19:28
Kudos
Bookmarks
ESSAY QUESTION:
The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
“The inflow of immigrant workers into our community has put a downward pressure on wages. In fact, the average compensation of unskilled labor in our city has declined by nearly 10% over the past 5 years. Therefore, to protect our local economy, it is essential to impose a moratorium on further immigration.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the argument's logic and analyze the argument's underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting evidence is used and what evidence might counter the argument's conclusion. You may also discuss what additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes would make the argument more logically sound.
The argument presented in the passage above presents a string of logic, and ultimately a conclusion that are filled with faulty assumptions but also vague generalizations and incorrect correlations. For example, the argument assumes not only that Immigrant workers are an unskilled labor force but provides little in the way of evidence to corroborate its claims.
The argument states that the inflow of immigrant workers into our community has put a downward pressure on wages and therefore the compensation of unskilled labor in the city has declined by nearly 10% over the past 5 years. It fails, however, to establish that the Immigrants are an unskilled workforce; it may be that these immigrants are in fact very skilled workers that have high level positions in companies. The argument does not establish how well skilled the immigrants are and thus it is a faulty assumption that the immigrants are untrained workers.
Furthermore, there is no premise which supports the assumption that over the past five years it has been the influx of immigrants that has driven down wage costs. External factors such as a lack of demand for unskilled labor may be contributing to the decline in wages rather than an influx of immigrants. Additionally how does the arrival of immigrants compare to the 5 year timeline that is given in the argument. They may have been arriving for a longer period of time or a shorter period of time and therefore not have had the direct impact that the argument seeks to establish. This part of the argument is also dependent on the previous faulty assumption that immigrants are unskilled workers.
Finally the argument states that to protect the health of the economy, the amount of immigrants allowed into the town must be limited. This is another faulty assumption, which is contingent on the fact that the level of wages reflects the overall economy. It might be that this particular community is experiencing a growth in the economy rather than a downturn in spite of a decrease in unskilled labor wages. It could very well be that the majority of the population in this community is skilled worker who have experienced an increase in their wages. The argument presents very little to show that the economy, for whatever reason is under any threat and that the immigrants would be the source of such a threat. This part of the argument is much too vague and only serves to provide an ever murkier line of reasoning.
In conclusion, this argument presents too many faulty assumptions. However, if evidence could be provided that demonstrates that the immigrants arriving to this community are unskilled, the economy is experiencing a contraction and is under threat because of the influx of immigrants , and that the timeline of immigration upswing fits with the five year time line given in the argument, then the argument may be valid. Ultimately, the argument fails to provide ample evidence to corroborate it’s claims.
The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
“The inflow of immigrant workers into our community has put a downward pressure on wages. In fact, the average compensation of unskilled labor in our city has declined by nearly 10% over the past 5 years. Therefore, to protect our local economy, it is essential to impose a moratorium on further immigration.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the argument's logic and analyze the argument's underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting evidence is used and what evidence might counter the argument's conclusion. You may also discuss what additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes would make the argument more logically sound.
The argument presented in the passage above presents a string of logic, and ultimately a conclusion that are filled with faulty assumptions but also vague generalizations and incorrect correlations. For example, the argument assumes not only that Immigrant workers are an unskilled labor force but provides little in the way of evidence to corroborate its claims.
The argument states that the inflow of immigrant workers into our community has put a downward pressure on wages and therefore the compensation of unskilled labor in the city has declined by nearly 10% over the past 5 years. It fails, however, to establish that the Immigrants are an unskilled workforce; it may be that these immigrants are in fact very skilled workers that have high level positions in companies. The argument does not establish how well skilled the immigrants are and thus it is a faulty assumption that the immigrants are untrained workers.
Furthermore, there is no premise which supports the assumption that over the past five years it has been the influx of immigrants that has driven down wage costs. External factors such as a lack of demand for unskilled labor may be contributing to the decline in wages rather than an influx of immigrants. Additionally how does the arrival of immigrants compare to the 5 year timeline that is given in the argument. They may have been arriving for a longer period of time or a shorter period of time and therefore not have had the direct impact that the argument seeks to establish. This part of the argument is also dependent on the previous faulty assumption that immigrants are unskilled workers.
Finally the argument states that to protect the health of the economy, the amount of immigrants allowed into the town must be limited. This is another faulty assumption, which is contingent on the fact that the level of wages reflects the overall economy. It might be that this particular community is experiencing a growth in the economy rather than a downturn in spite of a decrease in unskilled labor wages. It could very well be that the majority of the population in this community is skilled worker who have experienced an increase in their wages. The argument presents very little to show that the economy, for whatever reason is under any threat and that the immigrants would be the source of such a threat. This part of the argument is much too vague and only serves to provide an ever murkier line of reasoning.
In conclusion, this argument presents too many faulty assumptions. However, if evidence could be provided that demonstrates that the immigrants arriving to this community are unskilled, the economy is experiencing a contraction and is under threat because of the influx of immigrants , and that the timeline of immigration upswing fits with the five year time line given in the argument, then the argument may be valid. Ultimately, the argument fails to provide ample evidence to corroborate it’s claims.
Moderators:
189 posts
