Question

Use the statement to answer the question.

For years, we’ve watched Politician A tell blatant lies, use loopholes for personal gain, and mislead voters about their character. Today, Politician B announced that an accounting error in last year’s taxes led to an unintentional misfiling. Clearly, these politicians cannot be trusted. They are all the same, and we need to replace them immediately.
Why does this statement qualify as a type of fallacious reasoning?

(1 point)

It supports a claim by restating the claim instead of giving evidence to prove it.

It makes an illogical jump that one thing will lead to a disastrous outcome through a series of consequences.

It distorts evidence by suggesting that it means something it does not actually mean.

It oversimplifies or misrepresents an opposing argument in order to attack it.

Answer 1

It’s option 3.

The statement distorts limited examples (two politicians) to imply a broader conclusion about all politicians, implying the evidence means more than it does (an overgeneralization/hasty generalization).