In the same passage on voting behaviour, select the word that correctly completes the sentence: "One popular theory _________ that poor people vote because they are intimidated into doing so."

Introduction / Context:
This question continues the passage on voting behaviour and focuses on the correct verb to describe what a theory does. The sentence is One popular theory _________ that poor people vote because they are intimidated into doing so. In formal English, theories do something specific: they suggest, advance, or propose explanations. The question tests your understanding of such academic collocations and your ability to choose the verb that best fits both meaning and grammar.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject is One popular theory.
• We need a verb that takes a that clause.
• The clause following the verb is that poor people vote because they are intimidated into doing so.
• Options are poses, supposes, disposes, proposes, composes.
• The passage is about political and social analysis, so the style is formal and academic.

Concept / Approach:
In academic writing, theories usually propose explanations or hypotheses. The verb propose is commonly followed by a that clause, such as the theory proposes that. Other verbs in the list have different meanings: pose is used for problems or questions, suppose is about assuming something, dispose is about getting rid of or arranging, and compose is about creating or forming something. Only propose naturally fits the context of a theory and the grammar of a that clause.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the phrase One popular theory and recall typical verbs used with theory, such as states, suggests, proposes.Step 2: Check which given option can logically introduce a that clause describing an explanation.Step 3: Test each option: theory poses that, supposes that, disposes that, proposes that, composes that.Step 4: Notice that only proposes that sounds natural and commonly appears in formal writing.Step 5: Choose proposes as the verb that best fits both the meaning and the grammatical structure.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you replace the blank with proposes, the sentence reads smoothly: One popular theory proposes that poor people vote because they are intimidated into doing so. This is a standard academic phrasing. None of the other verbs are used with theory in this way. For example, a theory does not usually pose that something is true; it might pose a question, but not a statement. This confirms that proposes is the only fully correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• poses: We say pose a question or pose a problem, not pose that. It does not collocate with theory in this structure.
• supposes: This verb is more about an individual assuming something and is rarely used with theory as the subject in formal writing.
• disposes: This means gets rid of or arranges and has no connection to a theory giving an explanation.
• composes: This means creates or writes, as in compose music, and does not fit the idea of what a theory does.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often pick poses by confusing it with proposes, especially because they look similar. Another mistake is to choose supposes because of the that clause, but theory supposes that is not idiomatic academic English. Always consider typical collocations and not just whether a verb can grammatically precede that.

Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the sentence is proposes.