Problem #1(25 points)
Find two arguments on the issue of immigration policy, one
supporting tighter restrictions on undocumented aliens, the other
opposing them. The sources, which should be identified in your
work, may be blogs or articles from a website, a newspaper, or a
magazine. Images from internet memes, social media posts/tweets,
and other kinds of sources are also acceptable but please refrain
from using content of a pornographic or inappropriate nature.
First, reconstruct the arguments as deductive, and then discuss
whether they are sound. The simpler the argument, the easier it is
to determine whether it is sound. The length should be
approximately 700 words.

Problem #2(25 points)
Find three examples of superstitious beliefs, or urban legends
that are commonly transmitted via email or social media. For
example, The Nigerian Scam, which is about a wealthy person
looking to move funds from their accounts in Nigeria to the United
States. Use the description of the beliefs or claims to construct
inductive arguments about specific cases, whether real or imagined.
Make the argument inductively reliable, but discuss why it is
inductively weak.

Problem #3(25 points)
The language of the media makes frequent use of analogy. Go to
the web and search for three articles containing analogies on
topics such as comparing Chamberlains appeasing Hitler to passing
Obamacare, Vietnam and Afghanistan, and the Great Recession to
the Great Depression, or another analogy of your choice. Select and
summarize the arguments in three of the articles. Use your
summaries to write a short essay, no longer than two double-spaced
pages, discussing whether the analogies are weak or strong
analogies. If weak, explain why the analogy fails. Otherwise,
explain why you think the analogy should be allowed to stand.

Problem #4(25 points)
Read the comments posted in response to an article on a news
magazine or website. Please try to choose an article from a
well-recognized source such as Slate.com, The Atlantic, the Wall
Street Journal, etc. Also, please consider articles with a large
number of comments from at least 20 uniquely identified commenters
(i.e., if the same person with the same user name has responded 20
times, please do not use that example in your assignment). Collect
as many examples as you can find of fallacies of relevance
committed by the comment or letter writers, and then write a short
paper in which you report on these fallacious arguments. In each
case, identify the fallacy committed and explain precisely how the
fallacy is committed by that particular argument. Describe in this
way all of the examples of fallacies youve found. If your research
also gives you examples of other types of fallacy besides fallacies
of relevance (for example, appeal to an unqualified authority)
include your analyses of those arguments in your discussion
too.