PONTIFICIAE ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARVM SCRIPTA VARIA - 28
DIAGRAM .
: Model in its Environment
> Experience
the system would behave if left to itself but also what would be
the problems and results of trying to change it in various res-
pects, the model must be readily computable. Model-building
is a scientific activity but I do not think that a usable model
of an economic system can be built by a group of scientists
working in isolation, for the simple reason that, however well-
endowed the group may be, it cannot possibly know as much
as it needs to know about all aspects of the economy without
the cooperation of many people engaged in a variety of practical
tasks. The model-builders can of course build a prototype, but
they will be very unwise if they do not seek a great deal of
practical advice before they go fully into production.
The combination of a model with a set of objectives gives
rise to a policy. This is where the politician comes in: he for-
mulates the objectives. He may specify objectives in detail or
he may delegate his responsibility, as when, with whatever safe-
1] Stone - pag. 4