This article in FiveThirtyEighty.com is a great read for lots of reasons.  The leitmotiv is that while science has its share of fraudsters and academic scammers, the underlying problem is that the scientific enterprise is inherently very, very difficult.  To prove the point, the article includes an online, interactive data analysis that studies the relationship between political parties and economic performance.  Words cannot do it justice.  Do the “research” and believe.  To read the article, click here.