According to the textbook, if we find a war in which there was not an imbalance of power, should we reject 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

​According to the textbook, if we find a war in which there was not an imbalance of power, should we reject 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.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balance of power hypothesis is one of several theoretical perspectives used to understand the causes of war. If we find a war in which there was not an imbalance of power, it does not necessarily mean that we should reject the balance of power hypothesis. Instead, we should evaluate the hypothesis based on its ability to explain the most data relative to competing hypotheses. If it fits the data better than any other hypothesis, we should continue to use it to understand the causes of war.

​According to the Textbook, If We Find a War in Which

According to the Textbook, If We Find a War in Which