In economics, establishing a truth based on statistical analysis can be challenging as different experts can have opposing viewpoints on the effects of policies like minimum wage increases. While some believe it harms low-skilled labor by causing job loss, others argue it has minimal to no effect. This lack of consensus is in contrast to fields like physics where there is agreement on principles such as gravity.
There's often a gap between the textbook treatment of statistics and the cookbook treatment--how to cook up the numbers when you're in the kitchen of the real world. Jeremy Weber of the University of Pittsburgh and the author of Statistics for Public Policy hopes his book can close that gap. He talks to EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how to use numbers thoughtfully and honestly.