Explain why a tautological statement is problematic for an empirical analysis and provide an example.
What will be an ideal response?
Hypotheses stated in tautological form are also untestable in the sense that they are not really a test of the hypothesis. A tautology is a statement linking two concepts that mean essentially the same thing: for example, “The less support there is for a country’s political institutions, the more tenuous the stability of that country’s political system.” This hypothesis would be difficult to disconfirm because the two concepts—support for political institutions and stability of a political system—are so similar. To provide a fair test one would have to measure independently—in different ways—the support for the political institutions and the stability of the political system.
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An interest group that benefits from the programs of an administrative agency is called a
a. clientele group. b. subject group. c. focus group. d. caucus. e. beneficiary.
How has globalization affected states' control over domestic economics?
A. It has enhanced their capacity for control. B. It has led them to adopt increasingly similar domestic policies. C. It has led to a significant backlash against globalization. D. It has significantly eroded their control. E. It has completely eliminated their ability to control their economies.