Question

which statement primarily appeals to logos, or reason, to support the position that the american dream is no longer attainable for most people?
with income inequality at its highest point since the great depression, achieving the classic american dream has become increasingly implausible for those with little means.
economist thomas piketty would agree that the american dream is inherently limited by income inequality, and he maintains that we need significant government involvement in order to ameliorate the situation.
for many people, life is an ongoing struggle simply to survive and pay the bills; for these people, to contend that the american dream is still possible is a slap in the face.

Explanation:

• The first statement uses a factual claim (income inequality at its highest since the Great Depression) to logically support the position that the American Dream is unattainable for most. This is an appeal to logos (reason).
• The second statement relies on an expert's opinion (Economist Thomas Piketty) which is more of an appeal to ethos (credibility of the expert) rather than pure logos.
• The third statement uses an emotional description ("a slap in the face") which is an appeal to pathos (emotion) rather than logos.

Answer:

The first statement: "With income inequality at its highest point since the Great Depression, achieving the classic American Dream has become increasingly implausible for those with little means."