MILTON FRIEDMAN’S EMPIRICAL APPROACH TO ECONOMICS: SEARCHING FOR SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITY WHILE SHAPING THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT

Milton Friedman is usually presented as an economist characterized by his empirical approach to economics. His binary classification of economics into positive means and normative ends relies on the content predictions. Throughout career, he used extensive, data-based statistical techniques. While important scholarly attention has been devoted Friedman’s academic political trajectories, methodological prescriptions, development at University Chicago, we know much less about interplay these elements. This paper proposes intertwined reading them. My aim threefold. First, understand work choices, I relate early training in statistics. Second, articulate understanding policy science process building image economists neutral advisers policy-making process. Third, claim that framework, developed while was Economics Department established guidelines for institutional long-term project shaped it.