Economics Faces Challenges in Experimental Control

Steps:

• Identify the question: seeking a common criticism of economics as a field.
• Evaluate choices: A, B, C claim deficiencies in theory, modeling, and math, which economics excels at.
• Assess D: Economics studies human behavior in real economies, lacking lab isolation.
• Confirm D: This highlights a core limitation compared to natural sciences.

Why D is correct:

• Economics, as a social science, deals with complex human systems where variables like behavior and policy can't be ethically or practically isolated in labs, per the scientific method's emphasis on controlled experiments.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Economics establishes robust theories like supply-demand equilibrium.
• B: It constructs detailed models, such as IS-LM or DSGE frameworks.
• C: Economics heavily applies mathematics, including calculus and econometrics.

Final answer: D