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subject with a healthy skepticism. The following example considers the subject of 2
self-driving cars:

STATEMENT OF FACT Self-driving cars are controlled by computers.
ARGUABLE CLAIM OF FACT Self-driving cars will cause traffic flow problems and
worsen carbon emissions.

In the arguable claim of fact, you would want to see research by a neutral party. Con- Section 1 / Understanding Claims
ventional car manufacturers might have a vested interest in arguing against self-driving
cars, for example, so you would be better off looking for research by a nonpartisan air
quality researcher.
We commonly see arguments of fact that challenge stereotypes or social beliefs.
For instance, scientist Matthias Mehl and his colleagues published a study about
whether women are more talkative than men. They recorded conversations and con-
cluded that the differences are, in fact, very minor. Their findings call into question the
stereotype that women are excessively chatty and more talkative than their male
counterparts. Mehl’s argument of fact re-evaluates earlier “facts” and challenges a
social myth.

Claims of Value
Perhaps the most common type of claim is a claim of value, which argues that some-
thing is good or bad, right or wrong, valuable or not valuable, desirable or undesirable.
Of course, just like any other claim, a claim of value must be arguable. Claims of value
may be personal judgments based on taste, or they may be more objective evaluations
based on external criteria. For instance, if you argue that Idris Elba is the best leading
man, that is simply a matter of taste. The criteria for what is “best” and what defines a
“leading man” are strictly personal. Another person could argue that while Elba might
be the best-looking actor, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — whose movies include criti-
cally panned blockbusters such as the Fast and the Furious franchise — is one of the
highest paid actors and his movies tend to make more money than Elba’s. That is an
evaluation based on external criteria — dollars and cents. To develop an argument from
a claim of value, you must establish specific criteria or standards
and then show to what extent the subject meets those criteria.
®
AP TIP
Claims of Policy There’s typically some
Any time you propose a change, you’re making a claim of policy. It rhetorical work to do before
might be local: a group at your school proposes to raise money to proposing a specific change
in policy. For example, it
contribute to a school in Haiti. You want your parents to let you might be necessary to first
spend more time with friends on weeknights. Or it might be a more establish the nature or
far-reaching issue such as a proposal for transitioning to alternative severity of the problem, or
energy sources, a change in how artists are paid for streaming to explain why some
music, a shift in foreign policy, a change in legislation to allow former proposed solutions
fall short.
felons to vote.
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