Which of the following represents a defining characteristic of an empire?
a. a state that forms a democratic republic but is eventually seized and ruled over by a single ruler
b. a state formed through conquest and maintained through the extraction of resources from the conquered states and peoples
c. a single ethnic group with a single language, religion, and identity
d. a conglomeration of independent states that form temporary alliances.

Bob: coke is baby pandas.jim: what? how do you figure that coke is baby pandas? bob: because this book says so.jim: how do we know the book is correct? bob: because it says that coke is baby pandas.jim: how does that prove the book's accuracy? bob: because it's statement involving coke and baby pandas is correct, therefore it is accurate.jim: how do we know that it's correct? bob: because we have concluded that the book is accurate, and therefore the statement is correct.therefore, coke is baby pandas.