Once in a while a new government initiates a program to put power to better use, but its success or failure never really proves anything. In science, experiments are designed, checked, altered, repeated-- but not in politics... We have no real cumulative knowledge. History tells us nothing. That's the tragedy of a political reformer.

Summary

This quote highlights the limitations and challenges faced by political reformers. It suggests that unlike in the field of science where experiments are meticulously conducted and refined to accumulate knowledge, politics lacks a similar process. The quote implies that the success or failure of government programs cannot be used as a conclusive evidence for their effectiveness due to the absence of a systematic approach to derive cumulative knowledge in politics. This lack of a reliable historical reference makes political reform a tragic endeavor for those seeking to bring about positive change.

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