Your friend notices that U.S.auto production and U.S.population growth have moved together over several decades.He reasons that one way to slow population growth is for the government to order the auto makers to cut back on production.You gently point out to him that he:
A)would be correct only when the economy was in a recession.
B)has committed the fallacy that association is causation.
C)has ignored the secondary effects.
D)has committed the fallacy of composition.
E)would be correct only when the United States enjoyed economic growth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Your friend is making the mistake of assuming that just because two things are correlated, one is causing the other. This is a logical fallacy known as the fallacy of assuming that association is causation. Additionally, he is ignoring the complexity of the issue and the potential secondary effects of such a policy, such as job loss and harm to the economy.

Your Friend Notices That U