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The Analysis of Issue question asks you to discuss your opinion on
an issue. You will need to write a well-balanced analysis of the issue presented by
the test.
The most common topics relate to general business and public policy
issues. Business issues include business ethics, marketing and labor.
Government issues include regulatory and social welfare issues.
Sample topic
- Does lowering tax rates increase economic growth?
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations or reading.
Pick a Side
In order to attack these generalized policy questions, you need to take a precise position. Because your
essay will be short (you have only 30 minutes), you won't be able
to cover every possible argument, rebuttal and example. Choose
the most persuasive points and relevant examples.
| Question |
Thesis |
Evaluation |
| “It is essential that politicians keep certain secrets from the public.” |
“Politicians are ultimately representatives of the public charged with acting in the best interest of the public. However, in order to fulfill this responsibility, it is essential for politicians to occasionally keep secrets from the very people they represent.” |
Precise. This stays parallel by addressing whether or not keeping secrets is essential (as the prompt suggests) and evaluates the question only in terms of the public. |
Comment: The trick here is the word
essential ... this word is an extreme statement and opens up the argument to dispute. |
“While it may harm their favor in polls, it is often a better choice for politicians to withhold certain information from the public.” |
Imprecise. This does not address whether withholding this information is "essential," as the prompt suggests. A more precise stance would address whether or not this choice is essential rather than simply better. |
| “Withholding information is indeed a right of politicians, as evidenced by the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which essentially guarantees all Americans the right to withhold information—politicians included.” |
Imprecise. This does not address whether or not keeping secrets is "essential," but rather whether or not it is a "right." Additionally, this loses track by addressing a Constitutional amendment aimed at protecting the right to withhold in a courtroom, whereas the prompt addresses withholding information from the public. |
You Can Talk About Both Sides
Pick a side, but also feel free to acknowledge both sides of the issue to show that you understand both side
fully. You can persuade the reader that, despite the counter-arguments, your position is, overall, the stronger one.
Show
the reader that you see both sides of the issue by occasionally using qualifiers when describing each side. A qualifier
is a word or phrase that tempers the language nearby. Words like fairly, rather, somewhat, and relatively,
and expressions like seems to be, a little, and a
certain amount of limit the severity of other words or phrases they modify.
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