Examples of Bandwagon:

1. You believe that those who receive welfare should submit to a drug test, but your friends tell you that
idea is crazy and they don't accept it. You decide to change your position based on their beliefs.

2. Katie likes to read and would rather do that than play sports. Her friends make fun of her and tell her
that reading is for nerds. Katie stops reading so much and starts to play sports more.

3. Marcus wants to go to a small community college close to home, but most of the kids in his class are
applying to larger colleges out of state. Marcus decides that he should also apply to those colleges.

4. Marie notices that many of her friends have started eating a low-carb diet and drinking protein
shakes. Marie decides that this must be the healthy way to eat, so she joins them.

5. Cathy is opposed to social media because she would rather have a face-to-face conversation.
However, more and more of Cathy's friends have joined social media sites, so Cathy feels like she needs
to create an account as well.

6. Ian was raised in a Christian home. When Ian goes to college, many of the students do not believe in
Jesus and do not attend church. Ian begins to doubt his faith because of his new friends' lack of faith.

7. During the obstacle course, Tanner believes that going left will get them out of the maze, but
everyone else thinks they should go right. So, Tanner goes with the group.

8. Commercial argues that "everyone" likes a specific brand of dessert.

Examples of Slippery Slope:

If we allow the children to choose the movie this time, they are going to expect to be able to choose the
school they go to or the doctors they visit.
We need to stop allowing colleges to increase tuition every year. The next thing we know, it's going to
cost more to attend college for one semester than it is to buy a new home!

If you allow the students to redo this test, they are going to want to redo every assignment for the rest
of the year.

If we let this child bring the permission slip late, there is no reason to ever set a deadline for anything
again!

If we allow gay marriage, the next thing we know, people will want to marry their dogs, or their cats, or
what about their pigs?

If you break your diet and have one cookie tonight, you will just want to eat 10 cookies tomorrow, and
before you know it, you will have gained back the 15 pounds you lost.

If we give in every time our baby cries, he will always pitch a fit to get what he wants, and he will end up
in prison because we never set limits.

Examples of Appeal to Authority:

1. A commercial claims that a specific brand of cereal is the best way to start the day because athlete
Michael Jordan says that it is what he eats every day for breakfast.
2. A book argues that global warming is not actually happening, and cites the research of one
environmental scientist who has been studying climate change for several years.

3. Someone argues that drinking is morally wrong and cites a sermon from her pastor at church.

4. A little boy says that his friends should not go swimming in a river because his Mama said there were
germs in the river.

5. A commercial claims that 3 out of 4 dentists would choose this particular brand of toothpaste for their
own families to use.

6. My sister-in-law, who is a teacher, said that this school is not somewhere that I would want to send
my children.

What Are Some Examples of Card-Stacking Propaganda?

A:

QUICK ANSWER

Ads in which one political candidate dramatically misrepresents an opponent's policies or where a
company displays a polished image of its product next to a less-flattering image of a competitor's
product count as card-stacking propaganda. The name "card stacking" comes from the concept of
"stacking the deck" for or against something.

"Gamblers 'stack the deck' in their favor by arranging the cards so that they will win. Writers 'stack the
deck' by ignoring any evidence or arguments that don't support their position. I once experienced
'stacking the deck' when I went to buy a used car. The man trying to sell me the car talked only about
how wonderful the car was. After I bought the car, another man tried to sell me an extended warranty
by pointing out all the things that could break down."

Examples of Hasty Generalization:

1. Three out of four school teachers prefer Bright Marks Markers, but I only asked four teachers
total.

2. You visit a new country and the first person you meet in the airport is rude. You send a message
to a friend back home that everyone in this new country is rude.

3. Christine has a terrible experience with a boyfriend. She decides that all boys are mean.

4. Kevin's grandparents do not know how to use a computer. Kevin thinks that all older people
must be computer illiterate.

5. My Nana likes to bake and drink hot tea. When I meet your Nana, I am surprised that she
doesn't cook at all and drinks sodas.

6. A driver with a New York license plate cuts you off in traffic. You decide that all New York drivers
are terrible drivers.

7. Alissa has class with a football player who is a class clown. He disrupts the class and is failing.
Alissa decides all football players are not serious students.

8. On the first day of high school, Mark runs into a cheerleader who calls him a name and tells him
to move out of her way. Mark decides all cheerleaders are snobs.

9. Mrs. Miller taught your older brother, who was the class clown. She decides to be strict with you
from the very first day of class because she thinks you will be a clown, too.

10. Sarah has four male friends who do not like Hillary Clinton. She decides that all men must not
like Hillary Clinton.

Examples of Begging the Question:

1. Everyone wants the new iPhone because it is the hottest new gadget on the market!

2. God is real because the Bible says so, and the Bible is from God.

3. Killing people is wrong, so the death penalty is wrong.

4. Smoking cigarettes is bad, therefore it is deadly.

5. The rights of the criminal are just as important as the rights of the victim. Everyone's rights are equal.

6. Fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet. After all, a healthy eating plan includes fruits and
vegetables.

7. Student: Why didn't I receive full credit on my essay? Teacher: Because your paper did not meet the
requirements for full credit.

8. The greatest thing we can do is to love each other. Love is better than any other emotion.

Examples of Straw Man:

1. Senator Smith says that the nation should not add to the defense budget. Senator Jones says that he
cannot believe that Senator Smith wants to leave the nation defenseless.

2. Caroline says that she thinks her friends should not be so rude to the new girl. Jenna says that she
cannot believe that Caroline is choosing to be better friends with the new girl than the girls who have
always known her.

3. Pamela is the class secretary. She says that she thinks that the class should do more service projects.
Mark says he can't believe that Pamela doesn't support the annual school dance.

4. Biology teacher begins teaching evolution by stating that all things evolve. Student says she just can't
accept that humans came from bugs.

5. Student tells his professor that he thinks some of Donald Trump's positions have merit. Professor says
he can't believe that the student believes in support racism.

6. Student tells his professor that he thinks some of Hillary Clinton's positions have merit. Professor says
he can't believe that the student supports giving access to classified documents to foreign countries.
Examples of Appeal to Pity:

1. Commercials that show starving children in Africa before asking for donations to feed them.

2. Saying that you support a specific candidate for class president, only because he has recently been
diagnosed with cancer.

3. When you did not finish an assignment on time, you tell your teacher about how your printer was out
of ink, but that you didn't want to ask your mom to go to the store because she works nights, doesn't
get much sleep, and she was sleeping.

4. A young mother asks for assistance from a local church and she brings her three young children with
her to speak to the pastor.

5. When a boss recommends someone for a promotion and makes the argument that the person really
needs the additional money to support his family.

Examples of Ad Hominem:

General Examples of Ad Hominem Arguments

1. A politician arguing that his opponent cannot possibly be a good choice for women because he has a
religious conviction that causes him to be pro-life.

2. A lawyer who argues that his client should not be held responsible for theft because he is poor.

3. A parent who says that the teacher doesn't know how to teach because she graduated from a
community college.
4. A mother who tells the pediatrician that she doesn't trust his judgment because he's never been a
mother.

5. A commercial that pictures a particular team's football coach driving a specific type of truck versus
another type of truck.

Examples of Ad Hominem Arguments from Speech or Advertisement

1. "And I genuinely believe there are Republicans out there who would like to work with us but they're
fearful of their base and they're concerned about what Rush Limbaugh might say about them... "
President Obama

2. Congressman Darell Issa calls Whitehouse Spokesperson Jay Carney a "paid liar."

3. "There has been no vision or inspirational leadership emerging from the First person of the province,
communities are losing hope and all the Premier does is wear a better outfit every day, and shining like
a lamp pole." Provincial Secretary Tony Ehrenreich, South Africa

Examples of Non Sequitur:

Good people don't lie. You told a lie. You are not a good person.

The bread was left out on the counter. Dad was the last person in the kitchen. Dad is the only one who
could have left the bread on the counter.

You think Santa Claus is real. The Santa at the mall has a fake beard. Santa is obviously not real.

Examples of Non Sequitur in Speech and Literature

In the O.J. Simpson murder trial, there was a glove that was a crucial piece of evidence (worn by the
murderer). The defense attorney tried to say that the glove was too small to fit Mr. Simpson. His catch
phrase was, "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit."

Senator Barbara Boxer from California made the following statement: Those who survived the San
Francisco earthquake said, "Thank God, I'm still alive." But, of course, those who died, their lives will
never be the same again.

In The Crucible, Mrs. Putnam tries to argue that her babies were not born healthy because of the
midwife:

"I knew it! Goody Osburn were midwife to me three times. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged
him not to call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shriveled in her hands."

Examples of Guilt by Association:

1. Elizabeth believes that immigration laws should be enforced and that everyone should follow a set
process to immigrate to the United States. When she hears that Donald Trump advocates enforcing
immigration laws, Elizabeth decides that she can't support immigration laws because she doesn't want
to be associated with believing the same thing as Donald Trump.

2. Jordan thinks that things would be better in America if wealth were shared. If those who had more
than enough were forced to share with those who did not have enough, things would be more fair and
equal. Jordan thinks the government should take over businesses and industry to make things more fair.
Then he learns that communist leaders, like Stalin and the current regime in China support shared
wealth and state-owned industry. Jordan decides he doesn't really believe that anymore.

3. Christa is thinking about becoming a vegetarian. Then she learns that many mass murderers were also
vegetarians. So, she keeps eating meat.

4. Paul is a Democrat, and he supports school choice for parents. Paul learns that the Republican party is
a champion of school choice. So, he reverses his position.
5. Laura is the class president. She believes that the class should sponsor a dance as a fundraiser. Then
she learns that a group of girls that she doesn't like also support the idea of a dance as a fundraiser. So,
Laura changes her mind and decides that the class should plan a race instead.

Examples of Confusing Cause and Effect:

1. Jennifer comes to class just as the bell rings every day. Jennifer's arrival at class causes the bell
to ring.

2. Depression causes sickness. People who are terminally ill are also often depressed. So,
depression can cause illness.

3. The type of music that is being produced these days is causing the youth of this nation to be
corrupt.

4. Our classroom smells funny. Mr. Harris is always in the classroom. Therefore, Mr. Harris is the
reason that the classroom smells funny.

5. Many people who drink coffee are also thin. Therefore, coffee causes one to lose weight.

6. Many people who are involved in community service also do well in college. So, volunteering for
community services causes you to have better grades in college.

7. Sarah liked playing with her brother's army toys when she was a child. Sarah joined the army as
an adult. Playing with army toys makes you want to join the army.

Examples of False Dilemma either or fallacy:

1. You are for us, or you are against us.

2. I thought you cared about other people, but I didn't see you at the fundraiser for the Harris Family.

3. Child to parent: Either you buy me this new book, or you decide that reading is not important at all.

4. Politician: We have to decide if we are going to support school choice or if we are going to support
failing schools. Those are the only two options.

5. Drink water every day and be healthy, or continue to drink sodas and be unhealthy. Those are the
only options.

6. You either support Hillary Clinton for President or you don't believe in women's rights.

7. The animal shelter is a place that values animal rights and never euthanizes animals, or the animal
shelter is a place that kills innocent animals.

8. You either like kids or you don't.

Examples of Post Hoc:

1. Our soccer team was losing until I bought new shoes. We have not lost a game since I got my
lucky shoes!

2. I sneezed at the same time the power went off. My sneeze did something to make the power go
off.

3. The football team lost last week, and now this week's pep rally is cancelled. I can't believe that
the principal would do that! (In reality the pep rally was cancelled because of a required standardized
test.)

4. Kevin's dog scratched his leg, and that night he had a fever. Kevin concluded that his dog must
have infected him with something.
5. Lois and Jan did a "snow dance" one afternoon, and it snowed that night. They claimed to have
brought the snow.

6. Willie wore blue socks to football practice, and he did not drop the ball a single time. Willie
decides to wear blue socks to every football practice.

7. Katie's little brother laughed at the same time that Katie spilled her juice. She yelled at him for
causing her to spill her juice.

8. The temperature has dropped this morning, and I also have a headache. The cold weather must
be causing my headache.