Q24 - Public policy dictates the health

[agersh144]

Can someone please break this down for me

Argument Core: Pub pol dictates health risk & statistics used to deflect public fears. > exp. stats deflect attention from other policy defects w/ greater inherent issues

A) is right because it parallels the deflection of attention from the more salient issue skin cancer from the sun towards radiation from nuclear power plan.

[rinagoldfield]

Hey Agersh,

Thanks for your post. The mini summary you wrote above is pretty on point.

Note that we’re not looking for a parallel ARGUMENT here; we’re looking for a parallel EXAMPLE. So this question is like a principle support question: we need to find an example to support the principle that "statistical arguments about health risks are used primarily to deflect public fears, contributing little to policy debate."

The stimulus gives one example in support of the principle: statistics about seat belts deflect public attention away from transportation policies that dangerously encourage driving.

Our job is to find another. It should check these boxes:

-statistics about one health risk distract from a greater health risk
-this distraction somehow messes with public policy

It’s best to use a process of elimination on these long matching questions.

(B) doesn’t concern public policy.

(C) gets into how statistics should influence public policy. We don’t care whether statistics should influence policy; we care whether statistics do influence public policy.

(D) doesn’t concern public policy.

(E) also discusses what public policy should be. Additionally, answer choice (E) doesn’t describe statistics being used to deflect attention from one health risk to another one.

(A) supports the principle, although we have to connect a few dots. We know that humans would be safer if we conserved energy rather than used nuclear energy. So the statistics about sunshine, nuclear energy, and cancer deflect attention away from some greater unnamed health risks posed by nuclear energy. This deflection takes attention away from policies based on energy conservation.

Hope that helps!

[agersh144]

Great explanation, much appreciated