Whenever the Democrats gain control of the Congress, spending on social programs increases; whenever Republicans gain control of the Congress, spending on defense increases. Hence, we know what the next party in control will do. This statement is an example of
A) fallacy of inductive reasoning.
B) post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy.
C) fallacy of composition.
D) ceteris paribus fallacy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This statement is an example of the post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy, which assumes that because two events occur in sequence, the first event must have caused the second event. In this case, the assumption is that the party in control of Congress is the cause of the increase in spending on certain policies, without considering other factors that may influence the budget.

Whenever the Democrats Gain Control of the Congress, Spending on Social