Answer
A positive statement is an assertion about how the world is. A normative statement is an assertion about how the world ought to be. When economists make normative statements, they are acting more as policy advisers than scientists.
An example of a positive statement is "Minimum wage laws cause unemployment."
An example of a normative statement is "The government should raise the minimum wage."
Work Step by Step
A good way of thinking about whether a statement is positive or normative is to judge its validity. We can in principle confirm or refute positive statements by evaluating evidence. However, normative statements are usually a matter of opinion and cannot be judged using data alone.
