There's another way of being "scientific" when it comes to policy. Instead of having a bunch of crooks in positions of power deciding for everyone, why not have the government designing markets and institutions that work, leaving the decision-making for the people?
The scientific approach to government should not be the USSR over-centralization. It should be intelligent design. Create the incentives, set the rules, and step back when the games begin.
People who think they know best for everyone else need to be kept far away from real power, whatever their political flavour.