Structural Reason

A structural reason refers to an overarching reason that applies past just an individual circumstance or example and can be generalised. They are logical explanations of why certain outcomes will occur, why that outcome is more likely to be positive than negative, or why a certain characterisation is more or less likely in a debate. These are tightly linked to the term ‘mechanism’ and are often used interchangeably, but mechanisms in a more formal sense relate specifically to particular actions that are taken and how they solve a problem while structural reasons are more inclusive of any reason that suggests something occurs in a multitude of cases.

• Example: "Governments are uniquely responsive to short-term economic metrics because they face election cycles every 4 years" is a structural reason why politicians prioritize immediate growth over long-term climate action.
• UADC wording: general truths about how society operates that work to support what you are trying to prove.