Keynes thought it would be “splendid” if economists became more like dentists. Disciplinary economics has instead become more like physics in focusing on concise, universal propositions verified through decisive tests. This focus, the author argues, limits the practical utility of the discipline because universal propositions form only a part of new policy recipes. The author further suggests that, as in engineering and medicine, developing economic recipes requires eclectic combinations of suggestive tests and judgment. Additionally, the author provides a detailed example of how a simulation model can help evaluate new policy combinations that affect the screening of loan applications.

中文翻译：

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使经济学更加有用：技术折衷主义如何提供帮助

凯恩斯认为，如果经济学家变得更像牙医，那将是“极好的”。相反，学科经济学变得更像物理学，专注于通过果断检验验证的简洁，普遍的命题。作者认为，这种重点限制了该学科的实际用途，因为普遍主张仅构成新政策配方的一部分。作者进一步建议，与在工程和医学领域一样，发展经济食谱需要折衷地组合暗示性测试和判断力。此外，作者提供了一个详细的示例，说明模拟模型如何帮助评估影响贷款申请筛选的新政策组合。