Question

read the passage
the cost of health care is rising in america. the
amount that an average family must pay for insurance
is simply unaffordable. i know this because my family is
an average american family—and we are worried. the
people who make decisions about health care do not
seem to think about the effect of the rising costs on
hardworking people like my husband and me.
which statement best explains why the evidence
provided in the text is a fallacy?
the writer uses an appeal to emotion by portraying
his family as abandoned by policy makers
the writer uses a bandwagon statement by claiming
that her family is an \average american family\
the writer uses an ad hominem argument by
attacking those who make healthcare decisions.
the writer uses a false dilemma by stating that
insurance is both necessary and unaffordable.

Explanation:

• Appeal to emotion: The writer uses personal experience ("my family is an average American family - and we are worried") to evoke an emotional response rather than presenting objective, verifiable evidence. This is a form of fallacy as it tries to persuade through emotion instead of logical reasoning.
• Bandwagon statement: Just claiming the family is "average" doesn't make it a valid argument. There's no data or broader context to support that the family truly represents the "average" (which is a vague term here). But the more prominent fallacy is the emotional appeal.
• Ad hominem: There's no direct attack on the character of those making healthcare decisions in a way that would be a classic ad hominem (e.g., calling them names without addressing the argument). The main issue is the emotional pull.
• False dilemma: The text doesn't present a situation where only two extreme options are given (e.g., "either we have free insurance or no insurance"). It's more about an emotional plea.

Answer:

The writer uses an appeal to emotion by portraying her family as abandoned by policy makers.