What type of statement makes a factual claim about how the world actually works?

A positive statement makes a factual claim about how the world actually works. Positive statements are objective and can be tested or validated through observation and evidence. They focus on what is, rather than what ought to be, which is the key distinction from normative statements that express opinions or prescriptions.

For example, a positive statement might be, "The unemployment rate in the United States is 5%," which can be verified with statistical data. In contrast, normative statements would involve value judgments, such as saying, "The unemployment rate should be lower," which reflects subjective opinions.

Descriptive statements, while similar, are more about portraying information without making claims that can be tested for truth, whereas positive statements specifically aim to describe and explain phenomena in a factual manner. Therefore, the correct answer aligns with the definition of a positive statement as it emphasizes factual claims based on empirical evidence.