1. What type of logical fallacy is contained in this passage? A highly respected local doctor has spoken out in support of this candidate for mayor. Why not trust the judgment of one of our smartest and most prominent citizens?
O appeal to authority
O circular argument
O appeal to popular opinion
O non sequitur

Appeal to authority

Explanation:

A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning.

The type of a logical fallacy found in the given passage is called the appeal to authority (or argumentum ad verecundiam). It occurs when a person claims that something is true (or untrue) simply because a valid authority or expert on the issue said so.

Here, the authority in question is a highly respected local doctor. According to the speaker, we should agree with him only because he is one of the smartest and most prominent citizens. There are no legitimate arguments in favor of the mentioned candidate for mayor.