Public Policy Argumentation and Debate

Philip Dalton (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) is Associate Professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Public Advocacy and Director of the Center for Civic Engagement, at Hofstra University. He studies political communication and public discourse. John R. Butler (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh) has worked as a debate coach, communication professor, and consultant. He serves as the Director of Communication and Strategy for the Painters District Council No. 30 and its affiliated funds, a labor union located in Aurora, Illinois.

• Acknowledgments – Preface – Emergence – Orientation – Analyzing Issues and Policy Propositions – Arguing – Understanding Stock Issues in Public Policy Advocacy – Reasoning I: Reasoning about Cause – Reasoning II: Reasoning by Deduction, Induction, and Analogy – Evidence I: Theories and Uses – Evidence II: Evaluation – Reasonable Goals – Targeting Your Audience – Adapting to the Advocacy Setting – Appendix – Index.

“… a thoughtful, contemporary approach to argument that extends beyond theory and functions in everyday lived experiences. The updates … artfully address so many of the current forces that shape public opinion and offer the learner tools to find their way through to effective argument.” – Archana Pathak, Virginia Commonwealth University