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The problem (pointed to in many comments) seems to be confusion about roles. Economics is a form of science. Maybe not a hard science, but there are honest amb
by johbjo 6y ago
The problem (pointed to in many comments) seems to be confusion about roles.
Economics is a form of science. Maybe not a hard science, but there are honest ambitions to understand the world. Much of it is historical, since it is based on narratives that are taken to explain observed phenomena. The models are then vague and unprecise.
However, government officials and their experts are not pursuing science. They are literally trying to change the state of a system by intervening. The use of academic language is more of an instrument in this, rather than anything to do with science.
I even find the phrasing "the economics profession" (referring to government officials) problematic since obscures policy making in language that sounds scientific.
- qsort 6y agoHard agree on this take. This is part of (IMO) a larger pattern of politicians and society at large struggling to integrate science and scientific insights into social action. Science won't set your goals for you, it can at most suggest what is the most efficient way to get from X to Y, yet there are unreasonable expectations being placed by society on scientific research (we are seeing this very clearly with covid and GW). The net result is that science is often used as a shield by politicians, and those bullshit operations are often successful because the general public is so hopelessly uneducated about how science works.