Reed wanted a new way of doing things in economics, the old methods doesn't contribute to positive changes.
Maybe a new way of doing things may take note of the new infiltrations in the system which now bring about the modern economy that needs to be study and solutions provided. The old methods should have kept providing and contributing to positive change but it is yet to accommodate the new models which is now the realities of life because in the past, certain circumstances never was occurring like it is today. Certain factors can be responsible to divert the economic policies of government like war, COVID-19 to date is a major set back in country's economy as budgets for economic projects were used to fight COVID-19 pandemic, to execute different wars, terrorism compacting etc which were very minimal in past. Therefore, those have to be considered to see the reason old mettod doesn't contribute to positive change anymore.