If a political scientist finds a war in which there was not an imbalance of power, should that political scientist rejects the balance of power hypothesis?
A)Yes, automatically reject the hypothesis.
B)Only if in a dispute with the author of the hypothesis
C)Not if it fits with the data better than any other hypothesis
D)No, we never reject hypotheses

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balance of power hypothesis, like any scientific hypothesis, should be evaluated based on its overall fit with the available data. A single counterexample may not be sufficient to reject a hypothesis if it generally explains a wide range of phenomena better than alternative hypotheses. Rejecting a hypothesis typically requires a systematic evaluation of its predictions against empirical evidence.

If a Political Scientist Finds a War in Which There