Grade: Grade 12 Subject: Social Studies Unit: Civics Capstone SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Claim Evidence Writing

📖 Learn

Effective civic participation requires the ability to construct and communicate well-reasoned arguments. Whether writing to elected officials, participating in public discourse, or analyzing policy proposals, citizens must be able to make claims, support them with evidence, and explain their reasoning clearly.

The CER Framework: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

The CER framework provides a structure for analytical writing:

  • Claim: A clear, specific statement that answers a question or takes a position on an issue
  • Evidence: Facts, data, quotes, or examples that support the claim
  • Reasoning: Explanation of how and why the evidence supports the claim

Writing Strong Claims

Effective claims are:

  • Arguable: Someone could reasonably disagree
  • Specific: Focused on a particular aspect of an issue
  • Clear: States the position directly without vague language
  • Supportable: Can be backed by available evidence

Weak claim: "Climate change is an important issue."

Strong claim: "Federal investment in renewable energy infrastructure would reduce carbon emissions while creating jobs in manufacturing and construction sectors."

Types of Evidence in Civic Writing

  • Statistical evidence: Data and numbers from reliable sources (Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, peer-reviewed studies)
  • Historical evidence: Examples from past events or policies
  • Expert testimony: Quotes or findings from recognized authorities
  • Legal/Constitutional evidence: References to laws, court decisions, or constitutional provisions
  • Comparative evidence: Examples from other states, countries, or time periods
  • Case studies: Specific examples that illustrate broader patterns

Evaluating Evidence Quality

Not all evidence is equally strong. Consider:

  • Relevance: Does the evidence directly relate to the claim?
  • Reliability: Is the source credible and unbiased?
  • Recency: Is the information current enough to be valid?
  • Representativeness: Does the evidence reflect the typical case, not an exception?
  • Sufficiency: Is there enough evidence to support the claim?

Writing Effective Reasoning

Reasoning bridges evidence to claims by:

  • Explaining the significance of the evidence
  • Connecting specific data to broader principles
  • Addressing potential counterarguments
  • Drawing logical conclusions from the evidence presented

Addressing Counterarguments

Strong civic writing acknowledges opposing viewpoints:

  • Present the counterargument fairly and accurately
  • Explain why your position is more persuasive
  • Use evidence to refute or qualify opposing claims
  • Demonstrate understanding of complexity rather than dismissing alternatives

💡 Examples

Example 1: CER Paragraph on Voter ID Laws

Topic: Should states require photo identification to vote?

CER Paragraph:

Claim: Strict voter ID requirements may disproportionately affect eligible voters from low-income and minority communities.

Evidence: According to a 2017 study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, voter turnout in counties with strict ID laws decreased by 2-3 percentage points, with the largest decreases occurring in areas with higher proportions of minority voters. Additionally, the Brennan Center for Justice found that approximately 11% of U.S. citizens lack government-issued photo ID, with higher rates among elderly citizens, low-income individuals, and racial minorities.

Reasoning: These findings suggest that while voter ID laws are intended to prevent fraud, they may have the unintended consequence of creating barriers to voting for legitimate citizens. When certain populations are less likely to possess required identification due to factors like cost, transportation access, or documentation requirements, the policy affects eligible voters unequally. Policymakers should consider whether the benefits of preventing potential fraud outweigh the costs of reduced participation among eligible citizens.

Example 2: Analyzing Evidence Quality

Claim: Raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour would benefit the economy.

Weak evidence: "My friend got a raise and spent more money at local stores."

Why it's weak: Anecdotal, not representative, cannot be generalized

Strong evidence: "A 2019 study by economists at the University of California, Berkeley, analyzing minimum wage increases in six cities, found that restaurant employment remained stable while worker earnings increased by an average of 7%."

Why it's strong: Peer-reviewed, specific data, multiple cases studied, from credible institution

Example 3: Addressing a Counterargument

Topic: Campaign finance reform

Counterargument acknowledgment: "Opponents of campaign finance limits argue that spending money on political speech is a form of protected First Amendment expression, as the Supreme Court held in Citizens United v. FEC."

Response: "While the constitutional concerns are legitimate, this position fails to account for the documented effects of unlimited spending on political equality. When wealthy donors and corporations can spend unlimited amounts, their speech effectively drowns out the voices of ordinary citizens. A system where political influence correlates with wealth undermines the democratic principle of equal representation. Reforms like disclosure requirements and public financing can address corruption concerns while respecting free speech rights."

✏️ Practice

Apply your claim-evidence-reasoning skills to the following questions.

1. Which of the following is the STRONGEST claim for a civic argument essay?

  1. Education is important for democracy.
  2. Mandatory civics courses in high school would increase voter turnout among young adults.
  3. Young people should care more about politics.
  4. The government should do more for education.
Show Answer

B. This claim is specific (mandatory civics courses, high school, young adults), arguable (someone could disagree), and testable (voter turnout can be measured).

2. A student writes: "Universal healthcare would save money because countries with universal systems spend less on healthcare." What component of CER is missing?

  1. Claim
  2. Evidence
  3. Reasoning
  4. All components are present
Show Answer

C. The statement has a claim (universal healthcare saves money) and evidence (other countries spend less), but lacks reasoning explaining WHY universal systems cost less or how this evidence applies to the U.S. context.

3. Which evidence source would be MOST credible for supporting a claim about unemployment trends?

  1. A blog post by an economics enthusiast
  2. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
  3. A social media post from a politician
  4. A personal anecdote from a job seeker
Show Answer

B. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is an official government agency that collects and analyzes employment data using standardized methodologies, making it the most credible source for unemployment statistics.

4. A writer argues that a policy failed because it did not achieve its goals in one city. This reasoning is weakened by:

  1. Using statistical evidence
  2. Relying on a single case that may not be representative
  3. Citing too many sources
  4. Addressing counterarguments
Show Answer

B. Drawing broad conclusions from a single case (one city) is problematic because that city's experience may not be representative of how the policy would work elsewhere. Local factors could explain the outcome.

5. When addressing a counterargument, a writer should:

  1. Ignore it to avoid weakening their position
  2. Present it as fairly as possible before explaining why their position is stronger
  3. Dismiss it quickly with insulting language
  4. Agree completely with the opposing view
Show Answer

B. Addressing counterarguments fairly and then explaining why your position is more persuasive strengthens your argument by showing you have considered multiple perspectives.

6. "Studies show that early childhood education programs have long-term benefits." This evidence is weak because it lacks:

  1. A claim
  2. Specificity about which studies, what benefits, and how they were measured
  3. Emotional appeal
  4. A counterargument
Show Answer

B. Vague references to "studies show" without naming specific research, defining what "long-term benefits" means, or explaining methodology undermines the credibility and usefulness of the evidence.

7. Which reasoning strategy BEST connects evidence about rising healthcare costs to a claim supporting Medicare expansion?

  1. Restating the evidence in different words
  2. Explaining how Medicare's larger risk pool and negotiating power could reduce per-person costs
  3. Providing additional unrelated statistics about healthcare
  4. Making an emotional appeal about sick patients
Show Answer

B. Effective reasoning explains the mechanism by which the evidence supports the claim. Explaining how Medicare's structure would address the cost problem connects the evidence to the claim logically.

8. A civic essay uses a quote from a 1985 study to argue about current technology policy. This evidence is potentially problematic because:

  1. Quotes should never be used as evidence
  2. Technology has changed dramatically, making old data less relevant to current conditions
  3. Only government sources can be used for policy arguments
  4. Essays should only use evidence from the current year
Show Answer

B. Evidence should be current enough to be valid for the argument being made. Technology from 1985 is vastly different from today, so data from that era may not apply to current technology policy debates.

9. Which of the following demonstrates the BEST use of comparative evidence?

  1. "Other countries do things differently."
  2. "Canada's single-payer system covers 100% of citizens while spending 10.7% of GDP on healthcare, compared to the U.S. system that leaves millions uninsured while spending 17.7% of GDP."
  3. "European countries are better at everything."
  4. "We should just do what works."
Show Answer

B. This option provides specific, quantifiable comparisons (coverage percentages, GDP percentages) from named sources that can be verified and analyzed.

10. A claim that "everyone agrees the policy is successful" is problematic because:

  1. Consensus indicates the claim is true
  2. Overgeneralizing about agreement ignores legitimate disagreement and is likely inaccurate
  3. Only experts' opinions matter
  4. Agreement makes an argument weaker
Show Answer

B. Claims of universal agreement are almost always false and ignore the existence of legitimate opposing viewpoints. Effective arguments acknowledge complexity rather than dismissing disagreement.

11. When evaluating whether evidence is sufficient, a writer should consider:

  1. Whether the evidence is interesting
  2. Whether enough evidence has been provided to adequately support the scope of the claim
  3. Whether the evidence is longer than one paragraph
  4. Whether the evidence includes emotional stories
Show Answer

B. Sufficiency means having enough evidence to support the claim being made. Broader claims require more evidence; narrow claims may need less. The evidence must match the scope of the argument.

12. The PRIMARY purpose of reasoning in a CER paragraph is to:

  1. Repeat the claim in different words
  2. Add more evidence to the argument
  3. Explain how and why the evidence supports the claim
  4. Introduce a new topic for discussion
Show Answer

C. Reasoning is the analytical bridge between evidence and claim. It explains the significance of the evidence and demonstrates how it logically supports the position being argued.

✅ Check Your Understanding

Review these key concepts before moving on:

  • Can you write a clear, specific, arguable claim?
  • Can you identify and evaluate different types of evidence?
  • Can you write reasoning that explains how evidence supports a claim?
  • Can you address counterarguments fairly and persuasively?
  • Can you evaluate evidence for relevance, reliability, recency, and sufficiency?

🚀 Next Steps

  • Practice writing CER paragraphs on current civic issues
  • Analyze op-eds and editorials for their use of claims, evidence, and reasoning
  • Move on to the next lesson: Unit Checkpoint
  • Return to practice problems periodically for review