Answer Explanation

[PASSAGE] "Many countries that were economically 'ready' for democracy remained authoritarian, while some poorer nations successfully democratized." This means that during this period, some nations became democratic even though their economic status was not what modernization theory predicted would lead to democracy. [WHY CORRECT] Option 2 is correct because the passage explicitly states that "some poorer nations successfully democratized." Modernization theory predicted that democracy would arise from economic development. Therefore, poorer nations democratizing directly contradicts the economic predictions of modernization theory, showing cases that did not fit the theory. [TRAPS] Option 1 is wrong because the passage states the theory "faced significant challenges," implying it was questioned, not "completely incorrect" or disproven. Option 3 is wrong because the passage only mentions "some poorer nations" democratized, not "all poor nations," and doesn't state they became "stable democracies." Option 4 is wrong because the paragraph focuses on voluntarist approaches and elite pacts, not uniform social forces, and states transitology "shifted the analytical focus away from broad socioeconomic structures," which would include social forces. [TIP] When answering inference questions, look for statements that directly imply a conclusion without explicitly stating it. Pay close attention to qualifiers like "some," "many," "all," or "never," as they significantly impact the scope of what can be inferred.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

• Option A (“It proved that modernization theory was completely incorrect.”) goes beyond what the evidence logically supports.
• Option C (“It demonstrated that all poor nations were capable of becoming stable democracie”) relies on outside knowledge the passage never states.
• Option D (“It was primarily driven by the same social forces in every country.”) reverses the relationship described in the text.

Key Language in Context

Pay attention to the precise wording used to discuss Political Science. In TOEFL inference questions, transitions and qualifiers carry the meaning that separates the correct answer from close distractors.

Skill Takeaway

Confirm every inference with a specific sentence of evidence before choosing.