Forms of appeal

Logos

Logos is the most dominant forms of appeal in the commencement address in Brooklyn as Bernie Sanders often uses logical arguments, facts, and statistical evidence to support his case and appeal to the audience’s reason.

For example, he notes: “Today, the top 1/10 of 1% now owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%, 20 Americans now own as much wealth as the bottom half of America…” (ll. 37-38). These statistics help Sanders show the audience that most of the country’s wealth is owned by only a few people. This has the effect of setting the audience against the wealthy few and, implicitly, against the politicians that make it possible.

Sanders continues with more detailed figures on the same topic:

 …we have seen a tenfold increase in the number of billionaires – going from 51 to 565. In America today, CEOs of major corporations now earn about 350 times more than the average worker makes. In terms of income, 52 percent of all new income goes to the top 1%. (ll. 41-43)

These figures help show the audience that economic inequality is a serious problem in the US. 

In addition to figures concerning the wealthy, Sanders also offers data about the poor: “…43 million Americans live in poverty, we have the highes...