Are these questions positive or normative?
1)Too many people smoke.
2)Lung cancer kills millions each year.
3)If government were to increase taxes on cigarettes, people would smoke less.
http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/12/difference-between-positive-normative-economics.asp
What do you think?
1 postive
2 postive
3 normative
To determine whether these questions are positive or normative, we need to understand the distinction between the two.
Positive statements are objective statements about how things are in the world. They describe facts and data that can be verified or disproven. Positive statements do not involve personal opinions or value judgments.
Normative statements, on the other hand, are subjective statements that express opinions, values, or judgments about what ought to be. They reflect personal beliefs and preferences rather than verifiable facts.
Let's evaluate each question:
1) "Too many people smoke."
This statement is normative because it expresses an opinion about the quantity of people who smoke. There is no objective measure of what constitutes "too many" smokers, as it depends on personal perspectives and beliefs.
2) "Lung cancer kills millions each year."
This statement is positive because it describes a fact about the number of people who die from lung cancer each year. It can be verified through data and statistics.
3) "If government were to increase taxes on cigarettes, people would smoke less."
This statement is positive because it presents a conditional cause-and-effect relationship that can be studied and analyzed. It suggests that an increase in taxes might result in reduced smoking rates, which can be examined based on research and evidence.
In summary, question 1 is normative, question 2 is positive, and question 3 is positive.