Abstracts
Abstract
The use of numerical arguments has become part and parcel of evidence-based policymaking, serving increasingly as scientific evidence which is used to back up policy decisions and to convince citizens of the acceptability of those decisions. But numerical arguments and their quality and potential persuasive role in the specific institutional context of policymaking have received little treatment within argumentation theory. This paper endeavours to explain the forms, functions, and quality of numerical arguments in policymaking.
Keywords:
- evidence-based policymaking,
- numerical arguments,
- numerical fallacies,
- political fallacies,
- scientific evidence
Résumé
L'utilisation d'arguments numériques est devenue une partie intégrante de l'élaboration de politiques fondées sur des preuves, servant de plus en plus comme preuves scientifiques sur la base desquelles sont prises des décisions politiques, tout en tentant également de convaincre les citoyens de l'acceptabilité de ces décisions. Mais les arguments numériques sont considérablement sous-étudiés dans la théorie de l'argumentation, et encore moins examinés pour leur rôle persuasif potentiel et leur qualité dans le contexte institutionnel spécifique de l'élaboration des politiques. L'objectif de cette étude est d'expliquer les formes, les fonctions et la qualité des arguments numériques dans l'élaboration des politiques.
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