Question 1

"Smoking increases the probability of getting cancer." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

This statement is based on scientific evidence and research, indicating a causal relationship between smoking and increased risk of cancer.

Question 2

"The sun revolves around the earth." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of "The sun revolves around the earth." Is...

Question 3

"Education spending increases under left-wing governments." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

This is a scientifically supported statement as research has shown that left-wing governments tend to prioritize education spending more than right-wing governments.

Question 4

"Iceland is a country." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

A scientific statement is one that can be tested and verified or falsified through scientific methods. The statement "Iceland is a country" is a factual statement about geography and political status, not a hypothesis or theory that can be tested or experimented on scientifically.

Question 5

"Religious faith assures a person a place in the afterlife." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

This statement cannot be scientifically proven or disproven, as beliefs about the afterlife vary among religions and cannot be substantiated by empirical evidence. Therefore, it is a matter of faith and not a scientific fact.

Question 6

"Democracies are less likely to go to war than dictatorships." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

This statement is supported by empirical evidence and research in political science, making it a scientific statement. Studies have shown that democracies tend to have more peaceful relations with one another, while dictatorships are more prone to engaging in conflict and aggression.

Question 7

"Democratic leaders are more likely to provide public goods for their citizens than dictators are." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

This is a scientific statement supported by empirical research and data, as democratic leaders are shown to prioritize the provision of public goods for their citizens while dictators prioritize their own interests and maintain power.

Question 8

"Dictators are more likely to provide public goods for their citizens than democratic leaders are." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of "Dictators are more likely to provide public...

Question 9

"Smoking causes people to be taller than six feet." Is a scientific statement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of "Smoking causes people to be taller than...

Question 10

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the acceptability of the House bill?

Accepted Answer

The statement is not scientific because it is circular reasoning; defining "mainstream" in terms of acceptability of the House bill presupposes the conclusion within the premise, making it impossible to empirically test or falsify.

Question 11

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the ideology of the senators?

Accepted Answer

The statement is scientific because it is based on a definition of "mainstream" that is objective and measurable. The ideology of senators is a matter of public record, and it can be used to determine which senators are considered to be "mainstream."

Question 12

"All good students get high grades." Is this statement scientific if "good" is defined in terms of a student's grade?

Accepted Answer

This statement is not scientific because it is circular reasoning; defining "good" students based on their grades makes the statement tautological and not testable or falsifiable.

Question 13

"All good students get high grades." Is this statement scientific if "good" is defined in terms of a student's enthusiasm?

Accepted Answer

The statement is scientific because it is testable. We can measure a student's enthusiasm and see if it correlates with their grades.

Question 14

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"If a DEMOCRACY IS WEALTHY, then it will stay a democracy." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

A wealthy democracy is sufficient to ensure it remains a democracy, but it is not necessary, as there could be other factors that also ensure a democracy remains stable.

Question 15

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"A country cannot maintain a democratic form of government unless IT HAS A CULTURE THAT PROMOTES CIVIC PARTICIPATION." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

The statement says that a culture that promotes civic participation is necessary for a democracy to be maintained. This means without such a culture, democracy cannot exist. However, it does not guarantee that a democracy will always exist with a culture that promotes civic participation. Therefore, the conditions are necessary but not sufficient.

Question 16

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"Countries have many parties only WHEN THEY EMPLOY PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

The statement claims that countries have many parties only when they employ proportional electoral rules. This means that proportional electoral rules are necessary for the occurrence of many parties, but not sufficient. Other factors, such as cultural and historical factors, may also play a role in the number of parties in a country. Therefore, the conditions shown in capital letters are necessary but not sufficient to produce the effects described.

Question 17

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"Countries always have few parties WHEN THEY EMPLOY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

The condition in capital letters is sufficient to produce the effect described because majoritarian electoral rules tend to favor larger parties and make it difficult for smaller parties to gain representation.

Question 18

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"IF A COUNTRY'S POPULATION IS ETHNICALLY HETEROGENEOUS, then it will experience political conflict." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

The condition of a country's population being ethnically heterogeneous is considered sufficient to produce political conflict, implying that this condition alone can lead to political conflict, but it's not stated as the only or necessary condition for political conflict to occur.

Question 19

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"A country cannot maintain democracy UNLESS IT HAS A TOLERANT CULTURE." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

The statement implies that a tolerant culture is a necessary condition for maintaining democracy. This means that without a tolerant culture, democracy cannot be maintained. However, it does not imply that a tolerant culture is sufficient for maintaining democracy. There may be other conditions or factors that also contribute to the sustainability of democracy.

Question 20

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
-"Countries always maintain democratic regimes IF THEY HAVE A STRONG URBAN CLASS." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Accepted Answer

The condition "if they have a strong urban class" is sufficient for countries to always maintain democratic regimes, meaning if the condition is met, the effect (maintaining democratic regimes) will follow. However, it's not stated that it's the only way for countries to maintain democratic regimes, hence it's not necessary but sufficient.

Quiz 1: What Is Science

"Smoking increases the probability of getting cancer." Is a scientific statement?

"The sun revolves around the earth." Is a scientific statement?

"Education spending increases under left-wing governments." Is a scientific statement?

"Iceland is a country." Is a scientific statement?

"Religious faith assures a person a place in the afterlife." Is a scientific statement?

"Democracies are less likely to go to war than dictatorships." Is a scientific statement?

"Democratic leaders are more likely to provide public goods for their citizens than dictators are." Is a scientific statement?

"Dictators are more likely to provide public goods for their citizens than democratic leaders are." Is a scientific statement?

"Smoking causes people to be taller than six feet." Is a scientific statement?

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the acceptability of the House bill?

"All mainstream U.S. senators agree that the House bill is unacceptable." Is this statement scientific if "mainstream" is defined in terms of the ideology of the senators?

"All good students get high grades." Is this statement scientific if "good" is defined in terms of a student's grade?

"All good students get high grades." Is this statement scientific if "good" is defined in terms of a student's enthusiasm?

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"If a DEMOCRACY IS WEALTHY, then it will stay a democracy." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"A country cannot maintain a democratic form of government unless IT HAS A CULTURE THAT PROMOTES CIVIC PARTICIPATION." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"Countries have many parties only WHEN THEY EMPLOY PROPORTIONAL ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"Countries always have few parties WHEN THEY EMPLOY MAJORITARIAN ELECTORAL RULES." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"IF A COUNTRY'S POPULATION IS ETHNICALLY HETEROGENEOUS, then it will experience political conflict." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"A country cannot maintain democracy UNLESS IT HAS A TOLERANT CULTURE." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions -"Countries always maintain democratic regimes IF THEY HAVE A STRONG URBAN CLASS." Are the conditions shown in capital letters sufficient or necessary to produce the effects described?