merchants of doubt PQ

According to Merchants of Doubt, which of the following best explains why manufactured uncertainty is effective in delaying policy action?
b) Public ____ reduces political ___ to act, even when scientific consensus is strong

uncertainty, pressure

The documentary draws a direct parallel between the tobacco industry’s strategy and modern fossil-fuel climate denial. Which similarity is emphasized?
Both industries argued the science was ___or unknowable to ___regulation.

uncertain, delay 

3. In the documentary, “doubt” functions primarily as:
b) A deliberate ____ strategy designed to slow or ___ regulation

PR, prevent 

5. The documentary argues that ideological motivations played a central role in climate denial. These motivations were primarily related to:

Denial was driven by ___, anti-regulation ideology.

free-market 

6. Which of the following reflects the documentary’s explanation of political inertia in climate policy?
c) Organized industry ____ and public ___ weaken political ___

misinformation, confusion, will

7. According to Merchants of Doubt, why do “experts” from industry-funded think tanks appear credible to the public?
c) The public has difficulty distinguishing scientific expertise from __ presentation

pro 

1. Briefly explain the documentary’s comparison between the tobacco industry and the fossil fuel industry. What key strategy links the two?

Agues that fossil fuel companies adopted the same strategy the tobacco industry used: manufacturing doubt about ____ science. Both industries hired ___ scientists, emphasized uncertainty, funded think tanks, and created the illusion that the science was ___. The goal in both cases was to ___ or block regulation.

well-established, contrarian, unsettled, delay

2. Identify and briefly explain 3 key mechanisms through which doubt is manufactured in the documentary.

1. Media false balance: Presenting fringe opinions as equal to scientific consensus.

2. Industry-funded experts/think tanks: Creating the appearance of ___ scientific ___.

Framing uncertainty: ____ normal scientific uncertainty to claim “the science isn’t settled.”

legitimate, disagreement, exaggerating 

Identify and briefly explain 3 key mechanisms through which doubt is manufactured in the documentary.

attacking scientists ____, misleading reports, political messaging on freedom and ___

personally, regulation

The documentary highlights the role of ideology in shaping responses to climate science. Briefly describe why certain actors viewed climate change as a threat to their political worldview.

- Many doubt merchants saw climate change as a threat to free-market ____ and feared it would justify increased government regulation. Their objections were ideological, not scientific: they believed environmental regulation equals government ____, so they rejected the science because it conflicted with their worldview.

capitaism, overreach

4. Explain the concept of “false balance” presented in the film. How does it contribute to public misunderstanding of climate science?

- False balance occurs when media outlets give equal time to a very small ___ of contradictory voices and to the overwhelming scientific ___. This creates the impression that scientists are divided, even when consensus is extremely strong, leading the public to believe the issue is still uncertain.

minority, consensus

5. Identify and explain 3 ways political inertia is reinforced by the tactics shown in Merchants of Doubt.

1. Public confusion: Manufactured doubt reduces ___ pressure for climate policies.

2. Industry ____: Corporations influence politicians to delay or ___ action.

Ideological polarization: Climate change becomes framed as a ___ issue, making governments hesitant to intervene.

voter, lobbying, weaken, political

Identify and explain 3 ways political inertia is reinforced by the tactics shown in Merchants of Doubt - misinformation slows societal momentum; ____ provides excuses for ___.)

uncertainty, inaction 

why do scientists experience personal attacks or harassment? How does this fit into the broader strategy of doubt?

- Scientists are targeted to undermine their ____. Personal attacks, email hacks, and smear campaigns make the public distrust the ____, which in turn weakens trust in the scientific message. This is a deliberate strategy to delegitimize ___ and prolong doubt.

credibility, messenger, consensus 

8. Identify three major points the documentary makes about the importance of scientific consensus.

1. Consensus represents decades of research and is a reliable indicator of scientific understanding.

2. ____is misrepresented by doubt merchants to suggest disagreement that does not exist.

Policy decisions require consensus, so undermining it slows climate mitigation and amplifies ___.

consensus, inertia 

Describe how think tanks contribute to the manufacture of doubt. What role do they play in shaping public perception?

- Think tanks produce reports, op-eds, and media appearances that question or downplay climate science. They provide “____” who appear independent but are often ____. This gives manufactured doubt an aura of legitimacy and shapes public perception.

experts, industry-funded

Explain the relationship between economic power and environmental information in the documentary. How does this relate to your unit themes of inertia and inequality?

- Corporations with major economic interests use funding, lobbying, and media influence to shape public information about climate change. This creates inertia by blocking or ___policy change. It also worsens inequality, because those with power avoid costs while vulnerable populations disproportionately suffer the impacts of delayed climate action.

delaying