Positive statements are those that can be tested and validated, meaning they are based on facts and can be proved or disproved with data. For example, a positive statement would be: “The unemployment rate in the country is 5%.” This statement can be verified by looking at unemployment statistics.
On the other hand, normative statements are based on opinions or values and cannot be tested or validated in the same way. They reflect what people believe should be, rather than what is. An example of a normative statement would be: “The government should work to reduce the unemployment rate to zero.” This statement expresses a value judgment about what should happen, rather than providing a factual claim.