[alphonsegaston]

And yet this shortcoming seems to in no way inhibit the field's broad pronouncements and interjection of themselves into public policy. Emmisaries of far more rigorous and testable scientific fields comport themselves with a great deal of academic probity(e.g. Climatologists whose verifiable observations have amongst the most dire of consequences for us, and yet whom still are cautious in their framing). Meanwhile, economists like Rogoff and Reinhart never missed a chance to peddle their faulty math and data errors as God's Only Truth to every outlet available. Or buddy up to oppressive regimes like Friedman and his University of Chicago ilk. Or to peddle discredited, vaguely eugenicist studies like Levitt and Dubner for the sake of selling books.