Sample Solution

The author of “The Rise of the Working Poor”, Robert Reich, effectively employs rhetorical appeals to drive home his arguments about the current state of poverty in America. Throughout the piece, he relies on ethos to establish himself as a credible source by incorporating personal anecdotes and referring to facts from reliable studies. Additionally, Reich uses logos extensively throughout his article by providing factual evidence backed up with references from reputable sources such as The New York Times or Federal Reserve Bank. This helps build an overall logical flow that is further enhanced by demonstrating how these facts support his argument for raising wages and expanding economic opportunity for working Americans. Finally, Reich also makes use of pathos to create a sense of urgency around this issue while evoking emotion through vivid descriptions or stories used to illustrate its real-world implications (e.g., hardworking adults struggling to get ahead). All together, these rhetorical techniques combine synergistically into an effective argument which captures attention while articulating the gravity of this growing problem in our society today.