--%>

Good theory

It is frequently said that a good theory is one which can in principle be refuted by an empirical, data-oriented study. Describe why a theory which cannot be evaluated empirically is not a good theory.
In evaluating theory there are two steps: firstly, you have to examine the reasonability of the theory's assumptions; secondly, you have to test the theory's predictions by comparing them with facts. If a theory cannot be tested, it cannot be accepted or rejected. Hence, it contributes little to our understanding of reality.

   Related Questions in Microeconomics

  • Q : Demands of prosperous American families

    The demands of prosperous American families are most likely most income elastic for their: (i) vacations in Hawaii. (ii) higher education. (iii) cell phones. (iv) fast food meals. (v) gasoline. Ple

  • Q : Easily enter or exit the market in the

    This graph depicts a short run situation while long run equilibrium has been achieved for a firm along with some market (price-making) power when the firm cannot price discriminate and: (w) has explicit costs but no i

  • Q : Define the income elasticity of demand

    The income elasticity of demand is a measure of the: (w) relative responsiveness of quantity demanded to changes within income. (x) absolute change within demand yielded by an absolute change within income. (y) slope of the income-consumption curve. (

  • Q : Labor Unions-Secondary Boycotts

    Whenever a firm consists of a collective bargaining agreement with its employees and unionized employees reject to handle the goods generated by other firms if the workers for other firms are on strike, then the unionized employees are engaged in the: (1) Secondary bo

  • Q : Wage Differentials-Adam Smiths theory

    The Adam Smith’s theory of wage differentials is least reliable with a case in which a: (1) Chef in the five-star restaurant earns a higher wage than cook in the fast food restaurant. (2) Security guard for U.S. firm in Baghdad is paid more than the security gua

  • Q : Cross-elasticity coefficient When the

    When the number of textbooks sold falls/drops 10 percent whenever college tuitions double, textbooks and college enrollments are _____ goods and their cross-elasticity coefficient is mainly _____. (i) Superior; 5.0. (ii) Inferior;   10.0. (i

  • Q : Why demand curve face monopolistically

    Why is demand curve facing a monopolistically competitive firm probable to be very elastic?

  • Q : Monopsonistic firms-Pay lower wages I

    I have a problem in economics on Monopsonistic firms-Pay lower wages. Please help me in the following question. Relative to the firms hiring in a competitive labor market, the monopsonistic firms tend to: (1) Hire more workers. (2) Hire labor up to a

  • Q : Total cost for monopolistic competitor

    Total cost for that monopolistic competitor in shown below figure equals area: (w) 0cbQ. (x) 0deQ + dcbe. (y) 0paQ   cpab. (z) All of the above.

    Q : Rising the level of utility Kelly

    Kelly spends his whole food budget on steak and doughnuts, and could trade 2 pounds of steak for 4 doughnuts devoid of changing his level of satisfaction. When the price of doughnuts is 50 cents and steak is $2.00 per pound, Kelly will most likely adjust by: (i) Incre