1. Introduction to Persuasion

2. Defining the persuasive speech
Attempts to influence attitudes, beliefs, values or behaviors
Persuasive speeches advocate alternatives
Persuasive speeches seek a response
Persuasive speeches respect audience choices

3. How to decide if you are persuading
Your goal is to influence audience attitudes
Your goal is to influence an understanding of something
Your goal is to influence a behavior
Your goal is to reinforce existing beliefs etc. //

4. The anatomy of an argument
Chapter 25

5. Argument Claim: What you are advocating for
Data: Support for accepting that claim
Warrant: Reasons why the support is valid

7. Types of Claims: Value Claims
Address whether or not something is:
Good or bad
Right or wrong
Does not address
Is something true
Or action that should be taken
Value claims: claims of judgment:
Assisted suicide is an ethical death
Policy claims: Advocate a course of action
Students should be exempt from parking fees
Fact claims: will something happen?
Did something happen? Did men land on the moon?

8. Claims of Fact Is something true: Address two kinds of questions:
Did something happen?
Will something happen?
Address two kinds of questions:
Questions for which 2 or more competing answers exist
Questions for which answers do not exist (speculative claims of fact).

9. Considerations
There must be two or more controversial, competing answers (no one wants to debate facts that are already proven true).
Equal ground for the negative and affirmative
Something to persuade the audience about

10. Samples: The Supreme Court has overemphasized Freedom of the Press
The US did not land a man on the moon during the Cold War
Bigfoot lives in the Northwest woods

11. Claims of Value Address issues of judgment
Not concerned with proving factual truth
Speakers try to show:
Something is good/bad
Something is better or worse
Something is worthy or unworthy

12. Sample claims of Value Assisted Suicide is an ethical form of death
Cake is a more preferable dessert than pie

13. Claims of Policy Used to recommend a course of action
In policy claims, these words are found:
Should
Ought

14. Sample policy claims
Property taxes should be increased to fund classroom expansion at the city’s elementary schools
Full-time commuter students should be granted a parking discount