Question

Identify whether each statement from Reagan’s speech is a fact or an opinion.

“But progress is not foreordained. The key is freedom – freedom of thought, freedom of information, freedom of communication.”

“You know, one of the first contacts between your country and mine took place between Russian and American explorers.”

“And that’s why it’s so hard for government planners, no matter how sophisticated, to ever substitute for millions of individuals working night and day to make their dreams come true.”


“In our discussion today, we agreed on working up to several thousand exchanges a year from each country in the near future.”

Answer 1

1) “But progress is not foreordained. The key is freedom – freedom of thought, freedom of information, freedom of communication.”
- Opinion. This expresses a value judgment about what causes progress and is not an objectively verifiable claim.

2) “You know, one of the first contacts between your country and mine took place between Russian and American explorers.”
- Fact (factual claim). This asserts a historical occurrence that can be checked against historical records.

3) “And that’s why it’s so hard for government planners, no matter how sophisticated, to ever substitute for millions of individuals working night and day to make their dreams come true.”
- Opinion. This is a generalization and normative claim about the efficacy of planners versus individual effort.

4) “In our discussion today, we agreed on working up to several thousand exchanges a year from each country in the near future.”
- Fact (factual claim). This reports a specific agreement arising from the discussion and can be verified by diplomatic records or contemporaneous reports.