The Science In Social Science

I frequently run across attacks on the scientific credentials of the social sciences. Most of the time, these attacks take the form of pot-shots aimed at economics, political science, or any other attempt to use game-theoretic modeling, statistical techniques, or even laboratory experiments to explain human behavior. As an example of what I mean, check out this New York Times blogger’s diatribe against using social science to inform public policy. So allow me a moment to defend Social Science...