Mechanisms, Not Grand Social Theory

The author argues social science should prioritize identifying mechanisms and empirical patterns over defending big, identity‑laden theories. He uses NAFTA’s failure to equalize wages—and economists’ subsequent pivot to open‑borders advocacy—as a case where theory overrode evidence. He suggests migration research that models networks fits this mechanisms‑first standard better. — This reframes how academia should inform policy, urging evidence‑first humility rather than theory‑driven prescriptions in contentious areas like immigration and trade.