Final answer:
The persuasive appeal used in the cited line is pathos, designed to evoke emotional response regarding the allocation of resources between education and incarceration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The persuasive appeal used in the line "Philadelphia just closed 23 of its schools at the same time it builds a $400 million state of the art prison" is pathos. This appeal is designed to evoke an emotional response from the audience by highlighting a disturbing contrast between the funding for education and incarceration.
In this context, the speaker is likely trying to persuade the audience that there is a misallocation of resources that neglects education while prioritizing penal institutions, thereby implying a societal or policy failure.
Pathos is often utilized to connect with the audience on an emotional level and to arouse empathy. This rhetorical strategy is also regularly paired with strong evidence or reasoning, to form a more compelling argument.
Persuasive arguments like this are critical in debates about social and governmental priorities, especially when appealing for change or calling for action on controversial issues such as education funding versus penal expenditures.