The Difference Between Formal Arguments and Personal Stories Essay

The Difference Between Formal Arguments and Personal Stories
Author
Author Affiliation
Course
Professor
Date
The Difference Between Formal Arguments and Personal Stories
More than often, most Americans do not become politically active because of the value they place in civic participation. Unlike voting, civic participation requires urgent impulses that compel individuals to understand the need to engage their elected leaders. In essence, most Americans only become activists when they unexpectedly and directly or indirectly become victims of an issue. Thus, the majority of Americans are single-issue advocates (Kush, 2004). For this reason, most Americans do not understand the best way of approaching their elected officials with the issues at heart. Often, people are compelled to choose between formal arguments and telling personal stories as a means of communicating with, say, congressional representatives. In this paper, I argue that personal stories are more effective than formal arguments.
According to Kush, one's personal life, professional expertise, and experience within the locality in which they reside provide sufficient information on how they can fight for the issues they care about, regardless of the specific request. However, when prompted to draft a letter to an elected official, a majority defaults to formal arguments. By default, formal arguments must be supported by statistical data and evidence to ensure that the arguments receive sufficient consideration and compel the intended audience to action. If well drafted and communicated, formal arguments can be effective in communicating the intended message and help in informing decisions. However, in most instances, formal arguments can fall short of g...