At advanced level you do more than spot an argument. You map how its parts connect and judge how strong the connections are.
An argument has a conclusion (the main claim), premises (the reasons offered), often an unstated assumption linking them, and evidence. To analyse, map the chain: evidence → reason → conclusion. Then test each link.
Ask: Is the evidence relevant, sufficient and representative? Is the reasoning logical or does it contain a fallacy? Does it consider counter-arguments? Is the conclusion proportionate to the evidence? Distinguish correlation (two things occur together) from causation (one causes the other).
The conclusion of an argument is:
A premise is:
An unstated assumption is:
Two events occurring together shows:
Evidence is sufficient when:
Why consider a counter-argument?
A survey of 8 studies finds that 6 support a claim.
What percentage support it?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.A sample of 50 people is drawn from a population of 5000.
What percentage of the population is sampled?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.Which question assesses relevance?
A conclusion that goes beyond its evidence is:
A representative sample:
Mapping an argument helps you to:
The strongest arguments:
No world government exists. Global problems are tackled through treaties, organisations and the actions of states, each with their own interests.
The United Nations was founded in 1945. Its Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members with a veto (the US, UK, France, Russia and China) and ten elected for two years. The General Assembly has all member states. Other bodies include the World Trade Organisation (1995), the World Bank, the IMF and the International Criminal Court.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) sets out rights to life, liberty, equality, education and fair trial. Tension arises between state sovereignty (a state governs itself without outside interference) and the responsibility to protect populations from atrocities. Critics say powerful states apply rules selectively, while supporters argue that international law gives weaker states a voice.
The United Nations was founded in:
A permanent member of the Security Council can:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in:
State sovereignty means:
The World Trade Organisation deals with:
A criticism of the Security Council veto is that it:
The UN Security Council has 15 members and 5 are permanent.
How many are elected (non-permanent)?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.The UN was founded in 1945 and the UDHR was adopted in 1948.
How many years later was the UDHR adopted?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.The General Assembly includes:
The ICC prosecutes:
The responsibility to protect says:
A treaty is:
Which is a weakness of global governance?
Economies need energy and trade to grow, yet both can damage the environment. Sustainability asks how to keep the benefits while limiting the harm.
The energy mix is the combination of sources a country uses: fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables (solar, wind, hydro). Switching away from fossil fuels reduces emissions but raises questions of cost, reliability (the sun does not always shine), jobs and energy security. A carbon tax charges emitters per tonne of CO₂.
Free trade lowers prices and widens choice but can hurt local industries. Tariffs (taxes on imports) protect jobs but raise prices. A circular economy reuses, repairs and recycles materials instead of the linear “take, make, dispose” model. Carbon-intensive imports raise the question of who is responsible for emissions: the producer or the consumer?
Which is a renewable energy source?
A drawback of solar and wind power is that they are:
A tariff is:
A circular economy aims to:
A carbon tax is intended to:
Consumption-based accounting counts emissions by:
A country has 100 GW of capacity, of which 30 GW is renewable.
What is the renewable share, in %?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.A factory emits 2000 tonnes of CO₂ under a carbon tax of $50 per tonne.
How much tax does it pay, in $?
Enter an exact answer, without rounding.Energy security means:
A drawback of tariffs is that they:
The WTO was founded in:
Which is part of sustainability?
Recycling is part of:
Questions from every topic in this course. Pick an answer for each one, then hit Check My Answers.
Which step should come first when analysing a long article?
An argument’s conclusion is:
A straw man fallacy:
To judge the legitimacy of an international decision you should ask:
The UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in:
A challenge for global governance is that:
The strongest argument for a carbon tax is that it:
Fair trade aims to:
Which is a renewable energy source?