Cases with low values on every independent variable are irrelevant to necessity theories

Evidence

The Possibility Principle states that the irrelevant cases are those with low values on all the independent variables; that is, where the max(Xi) is near zero. If the theory is correct, then values for Y should also be near zero for all these observations. In practice, this means that all irrelevant cases will lie near the origin [i.e., the (0,0,0) point]. Accordingly, we can define the threshold that separates the negative from the irrelevant cases as those that lie within Euclidean distance z from the origin. All other observations beyond this distance should be included in the analysis as relevant. — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts, 1298

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the Possibility Principle’s threshold: irrelevant cases cluster near the origin of the N-dimensional space.
• XREF: Connects to the learned highlight that geography and transport costs, not just policy, limited West African export integration — scope conditions shape which cases count.